


Beautifully Broken

by Ashratherose



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: A/B/O, Alpha Levi, Broken Eren, M/M, Omega Eren, Rape, Sex, Suicidal actions, Torture, fantastically rich Levi, trigger warnings : abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-13
Updated: 2017-05-23
Packaged: 2018-10-31 05:14:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 23
Words: 82,880
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10892436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ashratherose/pseuds/Ashratherose
Summary: Levi never needed an omega, still dragged to an omega housing facility he meets the first omega of his life that hasn't made him want to gag. The only problem is the omegas damaged goods...





	1. Chapter 1

Levi pinched the bridge of his nose. He'd known from the get go that this was a bad idea, and yet, his best and only friend Erwin had still dragged him out to the facility despite the alpha already knowing it would be like all the rest.

Since the governments ruling and final acknowledgement of secondary genders, facilities such as the one he was currently in had emerged world wide. They were government owned research facilities housing omegas, this facility was one of the larger ones, at capacity it had rooms for 300 omegas. To the world outside they were a refuge, but in reality they were mostly dumping grounds for children who's parents couldn't handle or care for their omega child. The omegas waited, locked away until the age of 18, or, as in Levi's case, an alpha came to chose from them. This however was rare, most of the children inside wouldn't know an alpha, even if it was to sneak up and bite the nape of their neck. 

He'd already been through 6 of the 10 floors, he hadn't even needed to step out the elevator to know that none were suitable. Their sickly sweet scents filled the building and he desperately wanted to leave, only Erwin's solid form was preventing that. The elevator doors slid open revealing level 7 of the building. Again sickly sweetness accosted his senses, but unlike the other floors there was the faintest trace of something else, but even more curiously there was a door at the end of the hall the children seemed to be gathered around. The managing director sighed  
"I'm sorry, can you excuse me a moment"  
Her heels clipped across the hall as she strode towards the room, Erwin shrugged and Levi followed her out. The smell grew stronger with every step and he tried to force down the feeling rising inside. He didn't want an omega. He'd live the past 30 years just fine without one, but his uncle demanded a successor and Erwin, in his own words "didn't want Levi to grow old and die alone", so for the short alpha this was like walking through a pet shop and looking for a dog that wasn't going to piss all over the rugs, nor demand all of his attention and time. If he wanted something like that, he would have a dog instead of a cat.

He stopped just short, watching the omega children run away from the director and the woman turned back to them, pasting a large fake smile on her face  
"I'm sorry about that"  
It occurred to Levi that the door in front of him was the only one with a window. No other door on the floors they'd visited had one... not that he'd been paying that much attention until now. The same smell filled his senses, and he frowned  
"Who's behind this door?"  
The directors professional facade dropped  
"This is Eren's room. He's been here the longest. He never leaves his room, that's why the children were looking through the window"  
She gestured to the small panel of glass and Levi stepped up, a lone figure sat in the centre of the room, his back straight in the dining chair he occupied and he seemed to be staring straight out the window  
"Why's he still here?"  
The woman sighed  
"Eren was taken in by an alpha once, but when a welfare check was carried out..."  
The woman looked down  
"Tell me"  
He knew he was using the power behind his family name to make her speak, but something about the omega had him on edge  
"He was found chained in a basement, horrible malnourished and burnt. Due to years on suppressants, he may not be able to conceive and when this was discovered the alpha lost control. He was returned to us and has been in this state since. Because of him, harsh new guidelines were introduced, including the background search you were submitted to before entering the premises... we should go..."

Levi shook his head. Eren's story had hit close to home. His background may be squeaky clean on the outside, but the same uncle who was now forcing him to find a mate, had also once tried to kill him. He didn't know the omega, but his blood boiled at the thought of the children laughing at him  
"I want to see him"  
The woman gaped and Erwin grabbed his forearm  
"Levi, are you sure?"  
"Erwin. How many omegas do you think you've made me see?"  
"Maybe... 100, 200?"  
"And he's the first that doesn't stink"  
Erwin's eyes widened, clearly not expecting that to be the alphas answer. Erwin didn't know about the abuse Levi had suffered, but Levi was sure his friend had a suspicion over his past. The director looked to Erwin and Erwin nodded  
"He can be a little violent around alpha's"  
The woman's voice was clearly hesitant  
"I would be too if some sick fuck attacked me"  
She slid her keycard into the door and the lock clicked  
"Please leave the door open, we'll wait for you here"

Levi crossed the room. It was completely bare. He was all for white and cleanliness, but this was depressing. He took a deep breath as he rounded the seated omega, his heart stopped the second he laid eyes on him properly. The word beautiful didn't come close to describing the teen. His eyes were the most incredible shade of green, he didn't even know such a shade could exist and his skin looked soft, almost begging to be touched, he walked slowly around, there was no sign of a bonding mark and once he was in front of Eren again, he sat cross legged on the floor with his hands up   
"Eren? My name is Levi. Can you hear me?"  
The omegas eyes darted to him for a second before staring back over him  
"Look, I've heard you've gone through some shit, and I've gone through shit too. This place it pretty shitty and you're the first omega I've met that hasn't made me want to vomit from their sickly sweet smell. Given all these factors, do you want to come live somewhere less shitty? I won't touch you, not unless you ask, and you'll have your own room. The front door and my door are both 2 inches thick and bullet proof, so no one is getting in, no one is going to be able to hurt you. It might sound like a prison, but it's somewhere you'll be safe and you won't have to put up with all of this. I have a keypad on my door, so once it closes only I can open it, so you don't have to fear you'll murder me as I sleep. I also have a cat, I don't know if you like cats, but this cat likes everyone. Would you like to come with me?"

The omega didn't move and neither did Levi. He couldn't blame the kid at all for being scared and not believing an alpha. They both sat their until the director called out, asking if Levi was alright   
"And you won't have to put up with her either..."  
He swore he saw the tiniest hint of a smile on Eren's perfect plump lips, he pushed down the tiny rush of hope he felt  
"Levi?"  
"We're fine"  
He gave the omega one last look, hoping he was coming off as sincere and not slightly horny... Eren gave the tiniest tiniest nod of his head  
"Erwin, Eren's coming with us. Please draw up the necessary paperwork. Levi stood and was surprised when Eren did the same. The teen had maybe an inch or two on him, but he didn't mind, if anything it added to his charm. He motioned to the doorway and Eren walked first. Every forth of fifth step was a limp and Levi wanted to tear the alpha that had hurt the omega to shreds.

The paperwork was over in under an hour, given Eren had nothing of his own, he was leaving with the clothes on his back. Levi personally wanted to bin them as soon as possible, they were the standard white hospital scrubs that every male omega was forced to wear for visits. He showed Eren to the car and the omega sat in the back, Levi couldn't help but notice how the teen played with the hem of the shirt in clear nervousness. He forced himself to take the front passenger seat and Erwin drove.

Eren was so quiet that Levi nearly forgot about him... only very nearly, the whole car smelt of him and the alpha wondered if Erwin was affected  
"Kenny won't be happy, he wants a successor to the Ackerman name"  
"Kenny can fuck off. I've never really seen myself having children. He should be happy I found an omega like Eren"  
"Well, the kid is good looking"  
Levi snarled without meaning to, but Erwin laughed   
"Calm down. Jeez, I can't believe your like this over a kid you just met"  
"The kid has a name. It's Eren"  
"Look, you know what I mean, and he obviously has issues"  
Levi could smell the distress leaking into the car from Eren   
"So what. I chose him, that's it, end of story. He's a human, don't treat him like he's not and don't talk about him like he's not here"  
Levi looked back to Eren and gave him a wink, the smell of distress lessened and Levi turned back smiling  
"Eren, this is Erwin. He's a dick, but he's my best friend and a good guy. He just doesn't have a filter on his mouth, so pretty much always blurts out what he's thinking"  
Erwin huffed in response  
"If it's going to be like that... Eren, this shorty is Levi. He has a thing about everything being clean and in its right spot. I've known him for the last 20ish years and he's never once shown interest in an omega. So if he's chosen you, he'll protect you with all he's got. He can be loud and cranky, but he never really means it..."  
Levi smacked Erwin lightly   
"See what I mean, zero filter. We'll be home soon"

10 minute later they pulled into the private drive that lead to Levi's residence. The place was secretly a fortress, his uncle had financed the property build, not realising it was built to keep the man out... Erwin pulled up outside the large front doors and Levi climbed from the car, opening the doors for Eren   
"You know how to work a laptop right?"  
Eren gave him a look, but it was clear his defences were sky high  
"I was thinking you might like to choose your own things, like clothes and a phone and stuff... but we'll talk about that after lunch"  
Levi walked to the door, he keyed the PIN in and the door swung open  
"Lets do lunch first... I'm starving, come on I'll show you the kitchen"

Levi walked ahead of the omega, he could sense the teen trailing behind, the poor kids mind must've been in meltdown, still he forced himself not to comfort him and to walk straight to the kitchen. Erwin sat on the first stool at the breakfast bench, Eren on the furtherest.

"Eren do you like bacon and eggs?"  
Levi looked up but the teen was staring down at his hands, Levi moved over to the fridge and began to rummage. Behind him was the sound of a scraping seat and a thud followed by a pained whimper. He spun round in confusion to see Erwin leaning down to help Eren, but the kid was freaking out. He dropped the carton of egg, not caring about the sticky mess now spilling across the floor and rushed to Eren, pulling Erwin back away from him. Tears were rolling down the kids face and Levi realised Eren had wet him self in fear  
"What happened?"  
"Titan jumped on the counter and Eren wasn't expecting it, he kind of half fell, half jumped backwards and whimpered when he hit the floor... I went to help him up without thinking..."  
Levi nodded and squatted down in front of Eren   
"Would you rather I carry you to the bathroom? Or can you walk?"  
Eren pushed himself up, he held his wrist tightly and Levi tried not to show how worried he was  
"Erwin, can you clean up the eggs I dropped?"  
Levi looked to Eren   
"It's alright, they're just eggs. Come on, the bathrooms back this way"

Levi once again walked in front of Eren, the teen was still crying silently and seemed to be expecting to be beaten or something for him actions, instead Levi held the bathroom door open for him  
"I expect the showers in that shitty place are just as shit as I imagine. Take your time. Towels are under the sink and I'll check up stairs for some clothes for you. I'll leave them out here alright?"  
Eren bit his lip and Levi took that to mean he agreed. The alpha forced himself away from Eren, it'd only been a few hours and kid was so far under his skin that he already knew he couldn't let him go.

Returning to the kitchen, Erwin was mopping the floor over  
"Levi, are you sure you want him? We can always take him back..."  
Levi glared at his friend, and Erwin raised his hands in surrender   
"I just mean, he's going to be a lot of work. It's obvious something's broken in his head... he might be nice to look at, but how's he going to go when it's time to take him to functions? We don't even know if he can talk"  
Levi let out a growl before rubbing his face  
"He's scared... he wants to talk, but he's scared. It might have something to do with whatever was done to him. I want you to find the police report for me, and medical records..."  
"Levi, they don't just give those out"  
Levi shook his head  
"I'm Levi Fucking Ackerman, I get what I want"  
Erwin snorted, the humour of the private joke not lost after all the years.

Levi strode across the open plan dining/living area and up the single set of stairs to his bedroom. He punched in the door Pin and the door slip open revealing a room of white and dark blue. He crossed to the full walk-in-robe and began to sort through his things. The teen had the height advantage so what ever he gave him would be too short, he shifted everything forward until he found the clothes he usually wore when working out in his personal gym. Eren didn't even have underwear and Levi wondered if it would be weird for the teen if he gave him a pair. Not completely confident in his decision he slipped a pair between the pair of sweat pants and the hooded singlet. He nodded in approval to himself and carried the bundle back down to the bathroom.

He'd expected Eren to close the door, but the teen hadn't, he wondered if they were allowed to shower privately in the facility. He swallowed at the sight of Eren's outline through the steamed glass, his pants suddenly felt a little too tight and he rushed to place the clothes on the bench before disappearing completely disgusted at the fact he'd gotten hard so easily.

He walked into the living room side and flopped onto the sofa, pulling a cushion over his lap as he willed his dick to listen to him for once and to settle already  
"What happened to making food?"  
"We should just order something, I can't be bothered cooking anymore"  
Erwin didn't reply but Levi heard him moving in the kitchen, it didn't take long before the smell of bacon filled the area   
"Don't you dare mess my kitchen up!"  
"Just sit there and be quiet"

Levi followed his friends instructions, but mostly because his mind was still on Eren. He knew how long it took to get over trauma like that, some nights he still woke up drenched in sweat over the things Kenny had done. He hoped more than anything he'd done the right thing.


	2. Chapter 2

Levi had moved over to the breakfast bench by the time Eren finally emerged. Levi's sweats hung loosely on his hips, there was about an inch gap between the hooded shirt and the sweats, showing the teens jutting hips. He was insanely thin and Levi bit down a growl. How could the facility allow this  
"Erwin cooked, come have something to eat"  
Eren eyed the plate of food like he'd never seen food before in his life. Levi picked the plate up and moved it to the end of the breakfast counter, before moving back to his own seat. The omega started to eat, all but scoffing the food down as fast as he could  
"Hey, slow down, you'll make yourself sick"  
Levi knew Erwin was just trying to be nice, but Eren dropped the slice of toast he'd been devouring and scrambled from his seat, he moved back away from the plate until his back hit the wall and he sank to the floor. His hands came over his head like he was about to be beaten and Levi glared at Erwin   
"Eren, its fine. No ones going to hurt you, Erwin just didn't want you throwing up"

Eren shook his head, clearly terrified. His hands grabbed at his hair and he began to pull hard, Levi jumped off his stool and grabbed at his wrists, Eren whimpered and tried to pull away  
"Calm down, I know I said I wouldn't touch you, but you don't need to hurt yourself, you've done nothing wrong... now do you think you can let your hair go for me?"  
Eren maintained the tight grip on his hair and Levi released his wrists, he kept his hands open as he slid them up and onto Eren's hands  
"Can you let go? Or do you need help?"  
Levi gently pried Eren's fingers out of his hair, one by one, strands of the thick chocolate hair clung to the omegas fingers and Levi bit down his anger at whoever had hurt the beautiful omega. He backed up a little to give Eren some room to breathe   
"Do you want to finish eating? Or do you want me to show you to your room?"  
Eren didn't look up at him and Erwin coughed lightly, like he was reminding Levi he was still there. The alpha ignored his friend until Eren finally looked up, tears were running down his face and his green eyes sparkled  
"Alright, bedroom it is"  
Levi stood and turned, Erwin was watching him in clear confusion, the alpha gave him a tiny nod to let him know it was alright. He walked towards the end of the breakfast counter and could feel Eren moving behind him. He waited a moment before walking across the living room and into the hallway that ran under the stairs up to his room. 

Sunlight streamed through the floor to ceiling windows, the hallway was warm, but not too warm. Eren's room was the only room that lead off of it. He opened the door and stepped back, letting Eren walk into the room ahead of him. The omega span around slowly, examining the space  
"There's another 4 bedrooms, but this is the nicest of them all"  
The walls were white, but the interior was decorated with shades of ruby red. The omega was clearly not used to such luxury and seemed to shrink away from it all  
"I know it's plain, but once we do some shopping and you get some things you can call your own, I'm sure it'll feel more like home. My bedrooms right upstairs, so if you ever need me, don't hesitate to come see me..."

Eren turned towards him and Levi noticed he was shivering  
"Are you cold? You can go ahead and rest if you like? This is your house now Eren, I won't let them take you back to that shit hole of a facility"  
Eren didn't move, so Levi did, he walked back down the hall and into the living room. Erwin was now sitting on the sofa, his head resting in his hands  
"Levi. Are you sure he's what you want?"  
Levi frowned, he crossed and sat in the recliner opposite   
"I'm not saying he isn't a good looking kid, but... is he really right for you? He's obviously damaged"  
"Erwin, on this you need to trust me. He's just scared, once he loosens up things will be fine. You can head off, I think he's scared of both of us, both being alphas and all"  
"What if he snaps?"  
"Then I'll deal with it, just make sure Kenny hasn't found out and bring those files over tomorrow"  
Erwin pushed himself up   
"I think you're making a mistake"  
"Even if I am, I'm not kicking him out. I'll see you tomorrow at 7"  
Erwin crossed and disappeared towards the front door. Levi sighed, he'd have to change the door code again. He hated that he couldn't even trust his best friend with something like the codes, but Erwin answered to his uncle and Kenny had a way of getting the info he wanted, no matter the price. He sank back further in the recliner and Titan came running across the room, lightly leaping into his lap. He scratched the cat behind the ears for a moment   
"You be nice to Eren, he's had a hard life like we have"  
Titan jumped off his lap and stalked away. 

Despite all his outwards confidence, he had no idea what he was supposed to do with the omega. Eren needed clothes, food and his own bathroom things. He wished the kid would talk to him, he was sure the teens voice would be the most beautiful thing he'd ever heard. With the thought of clothes on his mind he forced himself up and into the study, retrieving his iPad before heading back to Eren's room. The door was open and the teen was sitting on the floor, he knocked lightly and Eren didn't move, he crossed around and sat across from Eren, waving the iPad lightly  
"I want to order you some clothes, do you know how to use one of these?"  
Levi held the device out and Eren took it with shaking hands  
"You don't need to be so careful. It can always be replaced. Why don't you try Amazon? You can order some books and such if you want. You don't need to be shy in asking. I know what it's like to have nothing of my own"  
Eren clearly couldn't believe his words, he stared down at the iPad still shaking  
"My mother died when I was a kid... and I lived on the streets, I had to steal what I needed from the trash of others... finally my uncle took me in... and he tried to kill me... now I work for him... life's fucked me over too. Erwin doesn't know, so it's just you, me and Kenny. You don't have to talk to me, but I do want you to know that I'm on your side"

Tears rolled down Eren's face again, Levi longed to reach out and wipe them away. He stood, all he could do now was wait for Eren to come to him.


	3. Chapter 3

Levi wandered around his house, he'd washed the dishes, but had carefully wrapped Eren's half eaten meal in cling wrap and placed it in the fridge. If the omega ventured out, he didn't want the teen thinking he'd done something wrong. But once the dishes were done he had nothing to distract him.

He wondered if his house had always been so cold and empty, Eren being here had changed him so radically in mere hours. He walked to his study, he'd ignored his emails since the night before and was sure there'd be a few hundred waiting. Even if Kenny owned the company all paper work was pushed onto him, the man was just there to lord over Levi the fact he'd never actually get his hands on the company, not as long as Kenny was alive. He opened his laptop and loaded his emails, he immediately switched to work mode. People were idiots, his staff emailed him over the most trivial things and he worried for the human race. He pounded away on his keyboard mercilessly, his frustrations pouring out with each letter. It was another 3 hours before he was finally done and he dropped his head against his desk and let out a sigh. He pushed his chair back and forced himself up, heading out into the living room. 

His iPad had been placed on the coffee table and the alpha grabbed it, he couldn't help but be curious, but when he checked the shopping cart, it was empty. He wondered if the teen didn't know his size, or if he was just too scared. He placed the iPad back down in disappointment. He wanted to provide for the omega, he wanted to buy him everything he could ever want and make him smile. He'd never felt like this before and part of him was more than a little terrified, Eren was broken... but so was he... but he knew his own past, he couldn't even begin to guess Eren's. Hopefully the files he requested from Erwin would shed some light on the matter.

Given he wasn't hungry and he didn't want to scare Eren off coming out and exploring further, the alpha made his way up to his room. He closed the heavy door behind him and tried to ignore the feeling of pain from shutting Eren out. He scolded his alpha internally, he was behaving like a teenager with a crush, not a man who ran a billion dollar company. He changed into is pyjama bottoms and crawled across into the middle of his king sized bed. Today had been more exhaustive than he'd realised and he fell asleep effortlessly.

*  
Screaming filled the house, in his drowsy state it took him longer than he'd like to admit to realise Eren was the only other person in the house and if Eren was screaming than something was wrong. This wasn't how he wanted to hear his omega's voice. He stumbled off the bed and keyed the PIN into the door, his hands fumbled on the handle as he yanked it open and ran down the stairs, he was grateful for the small motion sensor lights he'd had installed as he looped back under the stairs and down the hall.

Eren's door was wide open and his fingers found the light switch easily without having to cross the threshold. He knew PTSD could be a right royal bitch and wasn't sure just what he'd be walking into. With the lights on the situation became clear. The teen was having a nightmare, his body was arched almost unnaturally and the same scream fell from his lips. The room stank of sweat, piss and slick and Levi wondered what hell the poor kid was stuck in. He crossed to Eren's side and placed his hand on Eren's shoulder, the effect was almost instant as the boy fell back against the bed, his eyes still closed, but he was no longer screaming and Levi took that as a small win. 

Levi pulled the blanket down until Eren was completely uncovered. The bed beneath the teen was just as wet as he'd expected, he didn't want to embarrass Eren, but he couldn't leave him in his own mess. He lifted the teen and cradled him against his chest, Eren's body was completely limp in his arms as he carried him from the room and up to his own, and then through to his ensuite.

He tried to rouse Eren, but the omega was completely out of it, and Levi apologised to the unconscious teen before stripping him down and laying him out in the bath. Eren with the scars, Eren's body was beautiful, despite being grossly underweight, Levi could see the slight widening of the teens hips and thighs, if he could get Eren eating... fuck... his penis twitched in appreciation of the mental image and he scolded himself, forcing himself to turn the taps on and begin cleaning the teen down.

His heart stopped when he saw Eren's back. He had no words for the image. Someone had taken their time and clearly enjoyed what they'd done. He snarled and the blood rushed through his veins. He wanted to slaughter them. To make them bleed and then leave them burning... because in all honesty that was what it looked like they'd tried to do to Eren. He carefully washed each mark, his fingers ghosting over the rise and fall of the scarred tissue. No one deserved this. Beneath him Eren tensed and Levi pulled back  
"Please don't touch them..."  
Eren's voice was soft and Levi nodded  
"Sorry, you were having a nightmare..."  
Eren nodded and pulled his knees up to his chest   
"I'm sorry... they happen a lot"  
Levi smiled gently and sat down next to the bath so Eren could have some small sliver of privacy   
"It's nice to hear you talking"  
"I'm sorry. I'll be quiet"  
Levi frowned, wasn't that the exact opposite of what he'd just said?  
"You're not in trouble for talking and I like your voice"  
Eren shook his head and Levi sighed  
"Alright, but you're not in trouble. Why don't you finish up in here? I'll grab you something to sleep in and then you can come sleep next to me"  
"I don't want to be in the way"  
"You won't be in the way and after hearing you scream like that, consider this my selfish request"  
Eren eyed him for a minute before looking down   
"If that's what you want, than alright"

Levi pushed himself up and disappeared out of the room and into the walk-in-robe. He found another pair of sweatpants and a shirt out, he couldn't remember if this one was bigger than the last or not, but he carried both items back to the bathroom and sat them on the bench. He tried not to stare as Eren stood and stepped from the bath, water rushed down his body and Levi swallowed before grabbing his towel from the rail and passing it to Eren  
"I don't know what the facility was like, but you're allowed your own privacy. You can close the doors in you want and you don't have to worry about how long you spend in the bathroom"  
Eren shook his head   
"They don't like it when I take too long... he doesn't like it when I take too long..."  
Levi tried to ignore the way the word "he" had pierced right through his heart. He knew Eren didn't mean to hurt him, but fuck that had  
"Well, its you and me now kid. I'm going back to bed, come out and join me when your ready"  
Levi retreated back to his bed with his words playing on repeat. He probably sounded like a skeezy old man. God. Why had English forsaken him? He rolled away from the bathroom door in embarrassment and buried his face in his pillow. Fucking moron. 

A few minutes later he felt the bed dip and Eren slid in behind him, his heart began to race as he realised the omega was naked and he rolled over in confusion   
"Eren? What are you doing?"  
The teen placed his hand on Levi's chest  
"This is what you meant isn't it? By telling me to join you?"  
Levi swallowed hard as Eren rolled on top of him, he struggled for English yet again  
"No... I thought you might want to sleep next to someone... to me... not this..."  
Eren rocked his hips and Levi bit his lip  
"I can smell it, you know, your arousal. I kept catching whiffs of it today... but it's alright, I know what to do..."  
Levi sat up and grabbed Eren's wrists  
"Eren. We are not having sex. It's true there's something about you that drives me fucking mental, but we don't even know each other. Now if you go put your clothes on, you can stay the night here. Sound fair?"  
Levi walked as Eren nodded and then climbed off his lap. The sweat smell of slick moved away as the teen went to get the clothes he'd left him and Levi glared at his erection. He had no idea what to say to Eren. The teen seemed to jump from one mood to the next and he hoped after a few days this would all settle down. 

Eren came back fully dressed and slid under the blankets, he laid on the very edge of the bed, as far away from Levi as he could without falling off and Levi forced himself not to moved across and yank the teen close to him. The fact that he was still hard would probably send the omega the wrong message and he didn't particularly want to test his willpower again by saying no to the beautiful teen.

*  
When morning came Levi felt more restless than restful. His alarm blared at 6am and he hefted himself from his bed, Eren had slipped out sometime during the few hours he'd managed to sleep and he began his hunt for the wayward teen. Not that there was anywhere for Eren to actually hide. He started with the most obvious place, his walk-in-robe, the omega was easy enough to spot even though he was "hidden" in the back corner behind Levi's suits. He slid them aside and reached down towards the teen  
"Eren?"  
For his efforts he was bitten on the hand rather unexpectedly, he looked at the teens face, Eren's eyes were full of fear   
"Eren, can you let me go?"  
The fear in the omegas eyes didn't lessen and Levi gently pried Eren's mouth open, his hand hurt like a bitch and he was kind of proud that Eren had drawn blood. The kid still had plenty of fight left in him.

The alpha crossed to his door and opened it, he then proceeded into the bathroom. Emerging 20 minutes, he was somewhat more ready to face the day. Eren had migrated from his walk-in-robe and the alpha dressed for work before heading downstairs. The living area was empty, and Levi forced himself into making some breakfast, he made extra for Eren and placed it in the fridge before the doorbell rang signalling Erwin was there to pick him up.

"Eren! I'm leaving! Help yourself to anything you want!"  
He hoped the omega could hear him as he yelled out across the empty room, the doorbell rang again and rushed out the door.

Once seated in the back of the limo Levi picked up the small stack of files, as expected Erwin had come through  
"The ones on top are the ones from the facility, the ones in the middle are his medical files and the bottom ones are the police reports"  
Levi went straight to the bottom, there were only two thin files and he eyed them with disgust   
"Most of the files been redacted, the alphas name included"  
Levi swore in disgust   
"What happened to your hand?"  
"Oh, small kitchen accident. Is there any way you can get the original file?"  
"Not legally"  
"Do it. I don't care what it takes, I need to know who did this"  
Levi's eyes flicked up to Erwin, his friend looked troubled and he knew what thinking. He looked back down at the file, flicking through his stomach twisted on disgust. Eren had been beaten and tortured as he'd expected, his back burnt with a chemical solvent and he'd been left chained like a dog in the basement of the house belonging to the alpha. He slid the file from his lap and pulled out the one on Eren's medical history. The omega had presented at the age of 6, which wasn't exactly common, his mother had died at the age of 10 and his father had gone crazy and tried to kill them both. He flicked through the pages, apparently Grisha was still alive, being held at Maria Psychiatric Hospital  
"I want his files and I want the ones about Eren's mother"  
Erwin nodded  
"You're investing a lot of time in this kid"  
Levi could tell exactly what Erwin was getting at. A lot of time on an omega Kenny was sure to find fault with  
"It's fine. Eren will be fine"  
"The kid can't even talk"  
Levi smirked  
"He can, he just thinks he'll in trouble if he does. I want those files by the end of the day, and we need to send someone out to go shopping for him"  
"Do you know his size?"  
"He fits my clothes, they're just a little short"  
"So he needs regular instead of short cut length"  
Levi glared at him and Erwin smiled  
"Not everyone can be ridiculously tall like you. Just get it done"

*  
The next week was more than a little weird. Levi ended up ordering clothes online for Eren, he'd splurged and ordered way too many, but he didn't care. The teen had nothing after all. He just wished that he had some way to bridge the gap between them. They hadn't talked since that night Eren had climbed into his bed, but everywhere Levi looked he could see the traces of Eren. He'd come home almost every night to dinner having been cooked, the house was spotless and the dishes always washed, but for the most part Eren would stay in his room and Levi was growing frustrated with the way things were. 

Erwin had delivered on those files, but the ones pertaining to Eren's previous alpha had apparently disappeared. Carla had died from illness, and Grisha had tried to kill them both with an overdose, Eren hadn't taken the tablets, he'd been the one call the ambulance. After that he'd been housed at the facility until was 13. Returning again at the age of 15 and he'd been there until Levi had taken him home. 

Tonight he'd arrived home early, with the intention of cooking dinner for the omega, he wanted to hear Eren's voice again. He hadn't expected that his arrival home would scare the omega, Eren had been filling a glass with water, he'd spun round and Levi saw the fear in his eyes as the glass slipped from his hands. The omega stumbled backwards as Levi rushed forwards. The teen fell back and Levi got a good look at the kids bleeding feet   
"Stay still, I'll pick you up"  
Eren shook his head  
"I'm sorry... I'll clean it up right away"  
"It's fine, I'm sorry I scared you"  
Eren shook his head again quickly, but Levi stepped around the broken glass and lifted him easily. He carried the omega over to the sofa  
"I'll get the first aid kit"  
Levi jogged to the bathroom and retrieved the kit and came back to Eren. The teen had taken off his shirt and was dabbing at his bleeding feet  
"What are you doing?"  
Eren jumped and dropped his shirt  
"Sorry..."  
Levi placed the kit down and picked up Eren's shirt, he could see the small shards of glass glinting and folded the garment before placing it under Eren's feet  
"This might hurt"  
"It's fine"  
Eren didn't even flinch as Levi wiped away at the small cuts with an alcohol wipe. He picked the shards from Eren's feet carefully before slathering the sites with antiseptic cream and dressing them. Eren stared down at his feet as if confused   
"Now, you just sit here, I'll finish dinner. I was hoping to come home early enough to cook for you"  
"Did... did I do something wrong?"  
Levi frowned, he repacked the kit before looking up. Eren was chewing on his bottom lip and had caused it to bleed  
"You did nothing wrong, I wanted to say thank you"  
"You don't have to do that... it's my job as an omega to make sure everything's in order"  
Levi set aside the kit and moved to sit next to Eren, he wrapped his arm around the tense teen  
"That's not your job here. Your job here is to just be yourself"  
"And what if I don't know who I am?"  
Levi stilled, he hasn't been expecting such a heavy question   
"Well... we'll work on it together"  
He ran the words through his head again, he sounded corny as fuck. They sat quietly until Levi finally released Eren  
"You know, you smell really good"  
Levi looked at the omega and grinned widely  
"You do to kid. You have no idea how any omegas left me gagging on their smell"  
Eren scrunched his face up adorably  
"You smell earthy... I guess how I've always imagined the woods smell after a heavy rain"  
Levi nodded slowly  
"I think I can live with that"  
Eren's eyes darted down   
"I'm not having a go at you, I was just joking. You smell like vanilla, it's nice. Now, put something you want to watch on, while I finish dinner and put this away"   
Levi passed Eren the remote before picking up the first aid kit. He placed it away, washing his hands before heading into the kitchen. Eren was flicking through the channels and the alpha smiled to himself.

Eren had started some pasta dish and Levi did the best he could... not knowing what it was going to be and he didn't want to ask Eren, he wanted to provide for the omega... not make him stress over what was happening in the kitchen. He finished the dish, kind of proud of his and Eren's creation and dishes it up into two deep bowls, covering the top with cheddar and Parmesan cheese. He paused and back tracked, pulling out a bottle of red wine from the wine rack. He popped the cork easily and poured two glasses, carrying Eren's dinner and glass over first. The omega was clearly impressed and Levi's ego soared.

The ate with some show playing in the background, Levi couldn't help but keep stealing glances at Eren until the omega lowered his fork  
"What?"  
"Nothing, I was just wondering if you liked it"  
"Oh... yeah... it's good, thank you"  
"Do you want to make this a regular thing? Dinner together?"  
Eren picked his fork up again  
"If you want to..."  
Levi nodded, he knew what Eren actually meant, but pretended not to. He finished his dinner and placed the bowl on the table, Eren's soon joined it and the omega looked at him as if expecting something, given he had nothing to actually say he drained his wine. The minutes passed slowly without either speaking until Eren went to stand and Levi grabbed his arm, tugging him down  
"The dishes can wait. I'll do them later, you need to stay off your feet for now"  
Eren remained stiff, even after Levi let his arm go  
"Sorry..."  
"It's fine, do you want to keep watching this or something else?"  
"What do you want to watch?"  
"Eren... it's alright for you to ask for things and to speak up. Now are you watching this?"  
"No"  
"Do you want to watch this?"  
"Not really"  
"Do you have any preferences?"  
"Not romance movies..."  
"See, this is a good start. I don't like romance movies either and Erwin says I have a shit sense of humour"  
"So no comedy either right?"  
"Not unless you're into comedy"  
"My whole life's enough of a joke thanks"  
Levi shot Eren a look, but omega gave him a small smile  
"What about horror?"  
"If the girl's wearing matching underwear and bra, she's going to die"  
Eren nodded at Levi's words  
"There's nothing scary anymore.... that's it it makes sense to begin with"  
"So... Stephen King?"  
"Stephen King is good"  
Levi patted Eren's knee, a gleam in his eyes  
"I've finally found someone to watch Stephen King with! You're perfect!"  
The second sentence slipped from Levi's sentence before he could stop himself, Eren looked uncomfortable and Levi desperately wished he could rewind time. The omega went to stand, not caring about his feet as he walked towards his room. The air was filled with his distress, Levi forced himself to wait a minute before following after the teen.

Eren's door was open, and he was sitting on the edge of his bed, his back towards the door  
"I didn't mean to upset you"  
Levi walked over to Eren's bed and sat next to him, the teen was crying silently and Levi pulled him against him  
"I'm terrible aren't I? I told you I wouldn't touch you, but I can't help myself..."  
"It's alright"  
Levi shook his head  
"How are you supposed to trust me if I don't keep my word"  
Eren tensed but Levi didn't let go  
"I know you can trust me right away, but maybe one day... I don't intend on letting you go... shit... that came out wrong. I mean I don't intend on letting you go back to that place. If you ever wanted to leave I'd let you... why am I so bad at this?"  
Eren shook his head  
"You're... not that bad... but if I left I'd have no where to go... I doubt the facility would take me back. They don't like problem omegas"  
"Well, I don't see you as a problem"  
"I am... that's why I need to be punished..."  
Levi pushed Eren back so he could look the teen in the eyes  
"I may be a total arsehole and have a pretty terrible personality, but I'm not going to punish you. When I ask you if you want to do things, you can say no, and if you ask me something I'll try my best to give you an answer"  
Eren nodded and Levi smiled, he'd never smiled this much in his life before  
"Can I ask you something?"  
Eren looked down and then back up and nodded  
"Will you tell me about the alpha who hurt you?"  
Eren shook his head and pulled Levi's hands away from his face   
"He was only doing what he's supposed to... I was a bad omega so he was punishing me..."  
"No one deserves that"  
"I did... do... what kind of omega can't have kids"  
"Do you know for sure you can't?"  
Eren shook his head slightly  
"There you go, I read in your file you presented when you were 6"  
The teen nodded, but looked thoroughly miserable, Levi changed his mind about the question he was going to ask  
"That had to suck"  
"Mhmm... but my father... he was a doctor... he..."  
Eren's breath caught and Levi thought the teen was going to pass out, his face had gone ghostly white  
"I'm sorry... I don't want to talk about it. Can I go to sleep now?"  
"Sure, it's your room after all. Will you be alright alone?"  
Eren's eyes said no, but his lips said yes  
"How about I go feed Titan and come back. We can be cheesy and cuddle if you want?"  
Eren looked shocked  
"I don't look like a cuddler?"  
"N... no..."  
"Oh, then consider yourself special"  
Levi stood and left Eren alone in his room. He walked down the hall and then into the living area, picking up the glasses and bowls before moving them to the sink. Once there he smacked his head on the fridge a couple of times cursing himself. The kid turned him into a total mess.


	4. Chapter 4

Eren was under the blankets when Levi came back. He dropped Titan on the bed and the cat promptly walked over Eren like the teen wasn't even there and jumped down, the tom looked back at Levi before flopping in the floor and rolling in his back and then beginning to groom himself. It helped to distract Levi from the nervousness he was feeling, he flicked the bedside light on and then crossed and turned the main light off. He toed off his shoes and stripped down to his underwear and slid into the bed  
"Alright, cuddle away"  
Eren rolled over and his eyes widened  
"What's wrong?"  
Eren shook his head, but didn't move  
"Is this too much?"  
"It's just... your shirtless"  
Levi snorted  
"It's not like you haven't seen it before"  
Eren looked confused   
"That night you slept in my bed..."  
"I slept in your bed?"  
Eren sat up, he was clearly trying to process that fact  
"You had a nightmare and I helped you wash up and then you slept in my bed..."  
"Sorry... I kind of remember... but I don't..."  
Levi nodded, filing away that bit of information for later  
"Well, you can look all you like. It's just us here"   
Eren's fingers shook as he reached out, but stopped short of actually touching Levi, his hand dropped and Levi was confused   
"I'm not going to bite"  
"You say that now"  
Levi couldn't tell if Eren was joking or not  
"How about this, I'll just lay down, and if you want to snuggle you can slide over and cuddle up against me. Fair?"  
Eren nodded, he rearranged himself and then rolled over and Levi reached out, turning the light off. Without the conversation Levi was left alone with his racing heart and scattered thoughts. He wondered if Eren couldn't remember each of his episodes or if he was just too embarrassed... or if the kid had some kind of brain damage. He forced his anger down, the last thing Eren needed was him thinking Levi was mad at him over this whole cuddling thing. He was Levi Ackerman, bad arse alpha... who apparently couldn't speak English and liked to cuddle...?!

At some point he must have fallen asleep, he woke with Eren plastered against his back, the teen was very hard and Levi had to resist the urge to roll him over and claim him. His own erection was just as hard, but Eren's grip made it hard to move. The more he tried to push it from his mind, the more he seemed to throb with need. Finally he had to pry Eren off of him and slip out the bedroom. He rushed as fast as his aching erection would allow, into the bathroom and locked the door behind him. He pulled down his underwear and his back brushed the light switch on. Levi eyed the mess he'd made of his underwear with equal measures of disgust and embarrassment, precum was smeared through his pubes and his erection was such an angry red that it only took a few jerk for him to cum so hard his knees almost gave out. He groaned with effort as he made to clean himself up. His alpha was screaming at him for wasting his cum across his hand and the bathroom floor. He cleaned himself as thoroughly as he could, his underwear was too wet and he was forced to head up to his room and grab another pair. He wondered if he should just stay there, but didn't want Eren getting the wrong idea and against his better judgement, he returned to the teens room.

He hadn't even reached the doorway when he heard low whimpering moans and pants, the smell of slick hung heavily in the room and groaned loudly without thinking. The sounds stopped and he clamped a hand to his mouth  
"L-Levi?"  
"I'm here kid, I just had to go to the bathroom... I... I'll leave you too it..."  
He heard the sheets rustle and then Eren appeared, his face was flushed and his lips parted   
"Sorry... I..."  
"It's alright, you take care of yourself"  
Eren looked down and Levi sighed  
"This is awkward. You're a teenager, you're going to get horny. It happens"  
Eren shook his head  
"I... shouldn't have... I didn't think you were coming back"  
"Why wouldn't I?"  
Eren shrugged and tugged at his pyjama shirt  
"Because... you haven't tried anything... even at the facility..."  
Levi snarled, and then once ahead cursed himself  
"Sorry... I'm just jealous..."  
Eren snorted in obvious disbelief  
"The idea that someone else touched you drives me crazy..."  
"I don't see why"  
"You're beautiful"  
"I'm not..."  
"You're the most beautiful omega I've ever met. And I've met hundreds remember"  
"But my back... and..."  
"And nothing. Now, go take care of yourself before I say something even more embarrassing"  
Levi made to walk away, but Eren grabbed him from behind, he didn't try anything sexual, he just held Levi from behind  
"I'm not beautiful or perfect... please don't lie to me... it hurts to hear it... I can't process it"  
"Well to me you are, but I don't want to upset you"  
"If I go to the bathroom, will you wait here for me?"  
"If that's what you want"  
He felt Eren nod against him  
"I'm scared of the dark"  
Levi would have mocked anyone else in the world, but Eren was being so brave, he turned in the omegas hold  
"I'll carry you... you're feet must still hurt"  
"I can't feel them... not properly..."  
"Is that..."  
"Is that normal? For me it is..."  
"So was that a yes to being carried?"  
"No... I'll walk... but can you wait for me?"  
"I'll wait, here or in the living room?"  
"Here..."  
Eren let him go and rushed down the hall, Levi winced at the teens movements. He really couldn't be that comfortable.

It wasn't long before Eren came back. He'd showered by the seem of it and Levi tried not to be disappointed. He let Eren walk into the bedroom first and he climbed back onto the side he was on before, this time the omega curled up in a ball and he curled around him  
"Is this alright?"  
"Maybe... if I start screaming you can leave. I'll calm down on my own"  
"If you start screaming I'm not going to leave you alone. That would be shitty"  
Eren didn't reply and they fell back to sleep.

It was just on sunrise when Eren woke screaming. He clawed at Levi's hands trying to get free and when e did he fell to the floor with a loud thud. Levi ignored his scratched arms and rushed off the bed and down to sit in front of Eren, tears rolled down his face and Levi hated how erotic he found Eren's tears. The teen was so beautifully broken when he cried. He wiped Eren's tears away and lifted him up, Eren fought his movements and landed a fair blow on his face. He dropped the squirming omega on the bed and Eren glared up at him. Levi wondered if Eren was going to remember this later. He squatted down and Eren's hands went straight for his throat. Levi realised he was actually squeezing with the intention of strangulation and winced as he stood and forced Eren's hands away, he coughed as he tried to take a deep breath, before staggering from the room. He wanted to comfort Eren, but when he was like this... well, he had the feeling the teen would be distraught if he knew what he'd tried to do, so he headed up to his room and closed the door. Given his heart was still racing and he wouldn't be able to go back to sleep, he showered and started getting ready for work. The nail mark stung as he wiped them over, but bruises hadn't appeared on his neck. He only hoped he hadn't hurt Eren in his attempt to get him to let go.

*  
When he came home that afternoon, he could smell Eren's distress. He dropped his things at the doorway and rushed into the living area. Vomit filled his mouth. Kenny was calmly sitting on the sofa like he owned the place. He'd changed the codes, yet the man had still gotten in and he was furious  
"Levi! Why didn't you tell me you had an omega? He's so young!"  
Eren was sitting opposite the alpha in a recliner. His gaze was firmly on his hands and Levi felt like he'd betrayed Eren again. He said no one could get him... yet there was Kenny   
"His name is Eren and he's 17"  
"I know, Eren was just telling me about himself. Did you know I knew his father at one point... but this was before Carla died"  
Eren flinched at the woman's name and Levi clenched his fists   
"What can I do for you?"  
"I just wanted to come meet Eren, when it comes to breeding, you'd never tell he was a low class bitch"  
Levi snarled and crossed between Kenny and Eren   
"You dare snarl at me? You always did have a stupid streak... I suppose you get it from your dead whore mother. Now, I expect you to have him presentable for exhibition on Saturday, we need to announce this to the investors before it's leaked"  
Kenny stood, clearly ending the conversation. He walked from the room and once he was gone Levi spun round and grabbed Eren, pulling him up from the chair and against him  
"I am so fucking sorry. I changed the door codes... he isn't supposed to know them. Did he hurt you? Did he touch you?"  
Levi pushed him back and brushed Eren's fringe back  
"No... he only just got here... I thought it was you..."  
Levi cupped Eren's face  
"If he ever comes back, lock yourself in my room. I designed the door coding myself, he can't get in. The pin is 10452 can you remember that"  
Eren nodded and Levi pulled his close again  
"He had no right saying any of that"  
"What... what happens when... he learns about my past... what do I do..."  
"You hold your head high, I'm not embarrass by your past and neither should you be. You're the only omega I could ever want and Kenny can go jump"  
Eren sniffled   
"But you're scared of him, I could smell it"  
"If it's between you and him, I choose you"  
Eren shook his head and pushed Levi away  
"I'm not worth it. You don't know me"  
"And you don't know me, but here we are"  
Eren turned and ran off towards his room and Levi let him go. The kids nerves were shattered... so was his. Saturday was only two days away... fucking Kenny. He needed to buy Eren clothes and shoes... and he sighed, Eren was a good looking unmarked omega that smelt divine... everyone would be looking at him from the get go. He needed to prepare the teen for that too.

He let Eren calm and retrieved the things he'd dropped from the doorway, and moved the pile to the sofa. He had no inclination to flick through the reports stuffed into his briefcase. He glared at the pile before heading up to his room and changing into something more casual. He hoped Eren wouldn't be opposed to going shopping today, tomorrow would be flat out and then Saturday he could run the omega through the proper etiquette.

Eren was hidden under his blankets and Levi moved around to the teens side and sat on the bed  
"I'm sorry, will you come out?"  
Eren pushed the blanket back and looked up at him in fear  
"You're not in trouble, it's alright, we just need to go shopping and I you might like to get it over and done with"  
Eren nodded quickly and Levi smiled  
"We'll get you two suits, shoes, shirts and a tie and then we can hole up here for the rest of the night, even pick up takeaway..."  
"I can't picture you liking takeaway"  
"Even I miss normal food, there's only so many fancy dinners you can eat"  
Eren slipped to the edge of the bed, he obviously didn't want to continue, but still stood. Levi smiled and stood, he gave Eren a quick hug   
"Will your feet be alright?"  
"Mhmm... I need to get my socks though"

Levi waited until Eren had his shoes on, before leading him out to the living room. Eren stood still while Levi retrieved his wallet from the kitchen draw and a set of car keys  
"Can you drive?"  
Eren shook his head and moved to follow Levi  
"I can teach you if you want?"  
The omega shook his head again and Levi smiled, he was sure one day... when Eren was ready... he'd let the alpha teach him.

*  
The drive into the city left Eren shaking and Levi couldn't blame him. He jumped at every loud noise and his left leg hadn't stopped bouncing since he climbed in. 

Levi pulled up outside the store, before looking at Eren   
"In and out"  
Eren nodded and opened his car door, Levi did the same. It took another few minutes before they actually walked into the store. The storeman came rushing over   
"Gentlemen, how can I help you?"  
"We need 2 suits, matching shirts, ties and shoes"  
The man smiled broadly  
"Of course, do you know what size you need?"  
Eren shook his head and stared at his feet  
"I'll need to take your measurements"  
Eren took half a step backwards   
"That won't be necessary, I'll choose everything myself"  
Levi moved slightly so his shoulder was against Eren's   
"Eren, do you want to walk around with me? Or do you want to wait in the change room?"  
"You..."  
Eren's voice was soft, but Levi still took his hand   
"We'll call you if we need you"  
The man's face fell slightly, but he nodded and returned to the front counter. Levi pulled Eren along between the racks  
"How do you feel about black?"  
"Blacks fine?"  
Levi remembered the first time Kenny had brought him a suit, he'd thought them all the same... they started with pants first, and then shirts and finally the jackets. Levi carried a small mountain of clothes into the dressing room and Eren's eyes were impossibly wide  
"We don't know what size you actually are... and I ordered 3 different sizes when I shopped online. Do you want me to help you?"  
Eren shook his head quickly  
"If it doesn't fit, hang it on this rack, and anything that does hang on this hook"  
Levi indicated what was what before letting himself out.

He forced himself to wait patiently, listening to Eren, he wondered if the omega realised he would swear softly from time to time  
"Levi... help?"  
Levi pushed on the door and it swung open, Eren looked positively edible and was holding two jackets   
"Which one?"  
Levi took the one from Eren's left hand and Eren placed the right one on the counter, he helped Eren into it and then did the buttons, the omega spun slowly   
"Passable?"  
Levi's mouth was dry... Eren was definitely more than passable, he nodded quickly and Eren gave him a tiny smile  
"Can we go now?"  
"You have two shirts picked out?"  
Eren nodded and pointed to the garments hanging up  
"Good, you can get changed and then we'll grab you some shoes"  
Levi let himself back out and waited a few more minutes for Eren to appear. He took the clothes from the omega and carried them out, laying them on the counter, before walking over to the shoe section, Eren trailed behind silently, Levi hummed as he chose two pairs and looked up at Eren   
"I need your foot Cinderella"  
The omega snorted and toed off his left sneaker, his face turned slightly red as Levi slipped the shoe on  
"Other one"  
This time Eren lifted his foot and Levi pulled the sneaker off, he slipped the other dress shoe on  
"Alright, now you go for a walk in a circle and then tell me how it feels"

Eren walked around obviously self conscious   
"Do they hurt?"  
"No... I couldn't tell you if they did anyway"  
"Foot"  
Eren placed his foot in front of Levi and the alpha checked the toe space  
"Alright, these seem alright. Do you want two pairs of these or one of these and another?"  
Eren shook his head quickly  
"These a fine"  
"And that means this lovely trip is done. Food and home time!"  
Eren let Levi slid the shoes off again and then slid on his sneakers. Levi carried them over to the counter and pulled out his card. The man took an insanely long time to bag and box all the items, Levi's own nervousness was amplified by Eren's and he wanted nothing more than to get Eren home to safety. It was another half hour before they finally left and Eren looked like he was having a heart attack over the cost of it all. Levi placed the shopping on the back seat and then pulled Eren close  
"It's fine, the company makes more money per hour than most people make in their lifetimes. This is nothing..."  
"It's just feels so wrong"  
"I know, but this is nothing compared to the other places we could have gone. People pay $2000 for a sock... that's $4000 for a pair... it's fucking ridiculous"  
Eren shook his head and Levi rubbed his back one more time before letting him go  
"What do feel like? Do you like Chinese?"  
Eren's stomach rumbled and Levi smiled  
"Is that a yes?"  
"I haven't had Chinese in years..."  
The alphas smile vanished  
"That's a crime. We need to get you spring rolls asap"

Levi drove to his favourite Chinese restaurant   
"Take away?"  
Eren nodded  
"Do you want to come in?"  
He shook his head and Levi squeezed his hand before climbing from the car. He ordered half a dozen items and extra spring rolls and sauce. They rushed his order as he was a semi regular and soon he was driving Eren back home in a car that had them both drooling over the smell of dinner.


	5. Chapter 5

Levi spent the Saturday morning trying to keep Eren calm. The omega had woken up screaming and his mood had only become more withdrawn as the day progressed. For the last 2 hours Eren had been sitting in Levi's lap, mostly against his will... but neither of them were looking forward to tonight, so they just stayed as they were until Eren finally quietly and calmly asked to be released. Once free, Levi watched as Eren walked in the direction of the bathroom and the alpha rubbed at his face tiredly, he hadn't even gotten to telling Eren what to expect tonight and he feared doing so would send the omega over the edge and back into another episode.

Looking at his watch, he noted there was still another 5 hours before they needed to start getting ready, this day seemed to be enjoying taunting his by passing so painfully slow. He pushed himself up and walked over to the fridge, nothing looked appetising. Eren's footsteps broke his concentration and he stood, turning slowly before looking to Eren   
"Is there anything you feel like eating?  
Eren shook his head quickly  
"I can make pancakes..."  
Eren went white, the omega turned and bolted back in the direction he'd come from and Levi took that as a no. He closed the fridge and leant against the breakfast counter, waiting for Eren to return again. The teen was still pale, his arms loosely hugging his stomach  
"I'm going to lay down for a while... is that alright?"  
Levi moved from the counter and over to Eren, he teen flinched as he raised his hand before placing it on Eren's forehead  
"You feel warm"  
"I'm sorry..."  
Levi sighed and shook his head  
"You've got nothing to be sorry for. Do you want me to come with you?"  
Eren looked down and shook his head  
"Alright, I'll leave my door open, I'll be right up there if you need me"  
Levi pointed up towards his room and Eren nodded. The omega shuffled past and Levi sighed internally.

Levi went for a nap, he set his alarm for 3 and showered and dressed before heading down to wake Eren.   
3 hours later they were sitting in the back of the limo and Eren looked like he was about to keel over. Erwin was sitting across from them both, the alphas smooth voice was filling them in on the order of the nights proceedings and the guest list, it was obvious Eren wasn't hearing anything, and when they finally arrived at the company headquarters Levi sent Erwin ahead. 

Taking Eren's hands Levi offered him a small smile  
"It's alright, I'll be there and if it's gets too bad there's a bathroom on the far side of the room... given this is a party for both of us, we can hold hands the whole time... if you want to?"  
Eren nodded quickly and Levi's smile grew  
"Let's do this"  
Levi helped Eren from the limo and the omega firmly held his hand, walking half a step behind the alpha as if using Levi as a shield. Levi was more than happy to be Eren's shield, the poor kid had no idea what he was walking into.

The moment the elevator doors opened to the 59th floor, Eren's name was on everyone's lips. The elevator may have opened to the hall, but not everyone had ventured into the function room and the pair were immediately greeted. Levi was proud as Eren answered people's greetings and shook hands, his hand always coming back to grip Levi's They walked into the function room and all eyes went to Eren. Kenny crossed the room and threw his arms around them in some kind of awkward three way hug, Eren stood stock still until the man detached  
"Levi, Eren, you both look wonderful. Levi, make sure you do the rounds"  
Kenny moved away and Levi eyed his back  
"Do you want champagne?"  
Eren nodded and Levi motioned a server over, he took two glasses from the tray and passed Eren his. After that they moved around the room, Eren held his own as far as Levi was concerned. Eren only stumbled once, and that was when a tall blonde alpha came into view, his hand gripped Levi's almost painfully tight and the alpha eyed the blonde. He had no idea who the man was, but Eren was obviously scared. Even after the blonde was gone from view, it took Eren a good half hour to bounce back.   
The night continued to pass and Levi didn't know if he would survive it. It couldn't be easy to be reduced to a genetically blessed bitch by a room full of people and even if Eren seemed to accept it, Levi really couldn't, he was more than happy to start swinging, but Kenny got to him first  
"Eren, would you mind if I borrowed Levi for a moment?"  
"No, not at all"  
Eren released Levi's hand, he leant in and whispered he needed to use the bathroom and Levi nodded.

Both men watched as Eren crossed the function room  
"He's doing better than expected"  
Levi rolled his eyes  
"Of course he is"  
"He's doing better than you. You need to reign in your jealousy, the whole room stinks of you"  
"It's better that the stink of all this cheap perfume and omega"  
"You're making everyone nervous"  
"Well tell them to stop treating Eren like he's a bitch to be mounted"  
Kenny looked confused   
"That's what he is. Surely you don't have feelings for him"  
Levi growled and Kenny laughed lightly before his eyes narrowed   
"Get over yourself. He's a lowly omega and you're an alpha. It's your job to fuck him and produce an heir. Now get out there and keep your unwanted opinions to yourself"  
Kenny stalked off and Levi stalked towards the bathroom. He'd had enough and without Eren in his view he found himself panicking over the omegas welfare.

Pushing through the bathroom door Levi was hit with a wave of distress and the stench of vomit. His fingers found the light switch and the harsh Fluro flickered to life  
"Eren?"  
A small whimper met his call and he rushed over to the stalls. The first two doors swung open easily, both were empty, which only left the third. He knocked lightly and pushed, the door swung open to reveal the trembling mess that was Eren. Eren's suit jacket was laying on the floor and tops buttons on his dress shirt were missing. There was vomit across the toilet next to him and he was shaking violently. Levi slipped into the stall and squatted down in front of Eren, he took the teens face in his hands and tilted it up, Eren's right eye was beginning to swell into what would be a nasty black eye and his eyebrow had been split. Levi let out snarl, scaring the omega into wetting himself and Levi felt his heart breaking that little bit more  
"What happened?"  
Eren didn't even to register Levi's question and the alpha forced himself away. He grabbed a thick wad of paper towelling and wet it, before moving back and wiping away at Eren's split eyebrow and then the traces of vomit from his nose and both corners of his mouth. Levi pulled his phone out and sent Erwin a quick text, telling him to come into the bathroom quietly  
"Eren, I just messaged Erwin, he's going to help me get you down to the limo"

It was a few seconds later that Erwin's steps echoed in the small space, Levi moved from Eren and to the stall door, his friend was clearly confused and Levi forced down his anger. Eren needed help first, not for him to explode  
"Did you anyone come in here in the last half hour?"  
"No, what's happened. It stinks in here"  
"Someone attacked Eren, I need to get him out of here and I need the camera footage from the function room"  
Erwin frowned  
"The cameras don't cover the bathroom entrance"  
Levi growled in disgust  
"I want the fucking footage anyway, go tell Kenny the parties over. No ones to come near me and no ones to come near Eren"  
Erwin nodded and left, leaving Levi to return to Eren. He flushed the toilet in disgust, and slung Eren's jacket over his shoulder. He lifted Eren up awkwardly and then up against his chest. He used his knee to support Eren so he could give the teen some sort of dignity. The omegas forehead rested against his neck and Levi could feel the heat radiating. He was beyond livid as he carried Eren out the bathroom. Kenny was standing at the podium and everyone's attention was on him, so Levi was able to carry Eren past everyone with relative secrecy. Erwin met them at the elevator, he rode down with them and then helped Levi get Eren into the limo. Levi cradled Eren in his lap, rocking the teen gently on the drive home. He'd failed Eren once again.

Eren stirred on the drive home, he fought against Levi's hold before breaking down and sobbing, Levi hushed him and nuzzled him lightly, trying to provide some small measure of comfort, not only had he been attacked, he'd been left in the dark and the whole attack had happened in a moment of minutes. Eren gripped at his shirt weakly as he cried and Levi rubbed his back, the back of his shirt was damp, but Levi couldn't find the want to care  
"I'm so sorry... I had no idea this was going to happen"  
Eren shook his head and sniffled, Levi hushed him before he could speak.

*  
Levi carried Eren inside and up to his room, the omega tried to crawl from his grip but Levi couldn't let him go. He carried Eren straight into the bathroom and sat him on the counter, keeping a hand on him as he flicked the lights on. His fingers shook as he started undoing Eren's buttons  
"I can do it myself"  
Levi shook his head  
"Levi. I can do it"  
"I... I need this... please"  
Eren sniffled as he nodded and Levi stripped his ruined shirt off. Eren took his hands as Levi reached for pants  
"Let me do it"  
Levi nodded, he pulled back and Eren slipped from the bench, stripping his pants while Levi began to strip himself, the omega eyed him half in fear and half as if to ask what the hell he was doing   
"I. I can't let you out of my sight... I'm scared too"  
Eren swallowed and continued to strip, Levi was waiting for him to say something but he didn't. A few moments later they were both naked and staring at each other  
"You can shower first... I'll wait here"  
Levi could feel the blush on his face, he looked at the counter next to Eren instead of at the omega. Eren didn't say anything, but he kind of side stepped to the shower and Levi realised it was more than likely because of his back. He busied himself picking up the two soiled suits and dropped the mess into the bathtub. They were machine washable suits, but he wanted to rinse them before washing. Eren showered quickly and Levi passed him a towel, the omega made to leave the bathroom   
"Can, will you stay... you can wait in my room if it's easier. I don't want to be alone tonight"  
Eren gave a quick nod and disappeared into Levi's room. Levi showered in almost record speed, and wrapped a towel around his dripping form, he let out a small sigh of relief at the sight of Eren sitting on his bed. He grabbed two pairs of underwear out and threw onto to Eren   
"Do you want a shirt?"  
Eren nodded quickly, clearly nervous and Levi found a plain T out, it like everything else was a little short on the omega, but Eren didn't complain. Levi took both towels and hung them up  
"You can go ahead and crawl under the covers"  
Eren opened his mouth and closed it before doing as Levi said, the alpha climbed in on the other side, he reached for Eren, but Eren was shaking  
"Hey, come here"  
He pulled Eren across and placed his head on his chest  
"Can you tell me what happened?"  
"I don't know... the lights went off..."  
Eren shivered and Levi nodded  
"You did really good tonight, I know you were scared, but I was really proud"  
"You didn't smell proud"  
Levi snorted  
"Kenny said the same thing. He told me to get my act together"  
Eren didn't reply and Levi contented himself gently rubbing the teens arm, he was replaying the night when he remembered that blonde alpha from earlier  
"Eren?"  
"Mmm?"  
"Did you know that alpha? That blonde on?"  
Eren tensed before shaking his head, inside Levi's mind it screamed "He's Lying!"  
"Ok, it's just you seemed scared"  
Eren slipped back from him  
"Can I sleep in my room instead?"  
"Do you want to?"  
"Y-yes..."  
"I'd rather you be here, but I'm not going to force you... I'm scared you'll get hurt again when I'm not looking"  
"I'll be fine..."  
Levi stood, he moved over and unlocked the door, Eren left and Levi sighed. His alpha urged him to follow Eren, he ended up compromising, moving himself and his blanket down to the sofa in case Eren had a nightmare.


	6. Chapter 6

As predicted Eren had an episode, but not exactly a nightmare. Levi had woken with his whole body tingling, he blinked the sleep from his eyes. Eren was standing over him with a knife and his heart was pounding  
"Eren?"  
Eren didn't move, he swayed slightly and Levi realised the teen was still asleep, he wasn't conscious in the slightest. Moving slowly, he stood and pried the knife from Eren's hand, placing it down on the coffee table before leading Eren back to his room. Given what had just happened, after settling Eren back into bed, he closed the door and returned to the omegas side. His racing heart was slowly returning to normal and he pulled Eren's back to his chest. The teen still felt hot and Levi hoped it'd pass before the sun rose.

Eren was still sick when Levi woke, the teen was drenched in sweat and Levi panicked at the heat radiating front him. Picking Eren up he carried him into the bathroom. He ran the water luke warm and lowered Eren into. Eren's eyes shot open and he took a huge gasping breath before looking at Levi for explanation   
"You were burning up"  
"Oh..."  
Levi placed his hand on Eren's forehead  
"I'll get you some panadol. Will you be alright for a minute?"  
"It's alright, I'll be ok"  
Levi took the time to look at Eren's face properly, the split eyebrow was red and his eye was slightly swollen  
"Does your face hurt?"  
Eren rose his hand and patted around his eye, wincing as he did  
"You don't need to poke at it"  
"It didn't hurt until I did"  
Levi shook his head as he left the bathroom, he could hear the faint notes from his phone but ignored it. Eren was more important. He poured a glass of water and popped out two pills before returning to Eren. The omega eyed the pills  
"They're just panadol. I promise"  
Eren took the pills and drained the glass, Levi placed it on the counter before sitting down next to the bath  
"Erwin's going to get me the footage from last night, I'm going to find out who did that to you"  
Eren's response was immediately, shaking his head he drew his knees up  
"It's fine..."  
"It's not fine... or is there something you don't want me to know"

Eren snapped he stood and glared   
"Get out"  
Levi was confused  
"Eren, I only want to help"  
"Well stop it. Now get out"  
The alpha grabbed the glass and walked out in total confusion. Eren wasn't terribly great at hiding things and his money was on that blonde alpha.

*  
Erwin arrived in the afternoon, a USB in his hand as Levi lead him through to the study. The alpha was clearly looking for Eren, but Levi hadn't seen him since the bathroom. He was trying to give Eren space... because he had no idea what else to do.

Erwin plugged the USB in and the pair watched the screen closely, Levi paused when the alpha that had scared Eren had come onto camera  
"Do you know who this is?"  
Erwin leant in over his shoulder for a better look  
"Reiner Braun, why?"  
"Last night, even though he didn't say anything, Eren was scared of him"  
Erwin frowned  
"I'll look into it, see if I can find a connection"  
"Good. I don't know if it's because he's blonde or if it's Reiner himself..."  
"Blonde?"  
"Remember how he reacted to you... it makes me wonder if Eren's previous alpha was a blonde"  
"Well, that is possible. But wouldn't it be easier just to ask Eren?"  
"I've tried, he shuts down completely"  
Erwin nodded  
"That's possible. How's he been otherwise? How was he after last night?"  
"Not great. He had a fever this morning and when I tried to ask about Reiner he told me to get out"  
Erwin hummed  
"That makes is seem more like Reiner is the issue"  
"That's what I thought..."  
Levi resumed the video, the blonde disappeared off and on the screen, Levi watched his actions carefully, but nothing seemed to phase the man during the night. By the end of the tape there was no one else of interest, but Levi still asked Erwin to look into all the connections. Once done in the study they moved out to the sofas in the living room, Levi sank down onto the blanket he'd left there earlier  
"I don't know if I should be worried or not that you're beddings out here"  
"Eren didn't want to sleep next to me last night, but I wanted to be close incase he had a nightmare"  
"And?"  
"Sleep walking, I like it better than when he wakes up screaming"  
"Levi, I know you've become attached to him, but are you sure about him?"  
Levi let out a sigh of frustration  
"Eren is staying, I handle his crazy"  
"So you think I'm crazy?"  
Eren was standing near the hallway to his room, his hands clenching at his shirt   
"We all are?"  
Eren turned and ran, a few seconds later there was the sound of his door slamming. Erwin looked to Levi   
"We all are? Seriously?"  
Levi glared across at him  
"I didn't know what to say"  
"Well, you could have said no"  
Levi huffed  
"I should go talk to him"  
"Is that wise?"  
"I don't want him getting the wrong idea"  
"Levi... it's a bit late for that"  
Levi growled and pushed himself up  
"He's my omega, I'll talk to him. You go look Reiner up"  
Erwin stood and looked down at Levi  
"Please and thank you"  
"Please Erwin, would you go do your job. Thank you?"  
Erwin patted his shoulder before he headed followed Levi to the front door  
"I'll let you know if I find anything"  
Levi closed the door without saying anything. He took a deep breath and went to find Eren.

Eren wasn't sitting on his bed like the alpha had expected and he wasn't at the desk in the corner which meant he was hiding. He checked under the bed first and then in the walk-in-robe. Eren had pushed everything to the front and squeezed himself into an almost impossibly small gap between the draws and the wall. Levi carefully pulled the draws forward, and Eren shifted back as if trying to melt into the wall   
"That was shitty of me. I didn't mean it how it came out"  
The teen didn't reply and Levi crawled into the slightly bigger space so he was kneeling in front of Eren   
"I don't think you're crazy"  
"Then why did you say it?"  
"Because Erwin was worried about how I was coping with you"  
"You should return me... you're right. I'm crazy. Even dad said I was crazy"  
"You're not crazy... well maybe a little, but so am I... doesn't that make you feel better?"  
"See, you think I am"  
"You know that's not what I meant"  
"Then why don't you just say what you mean. You don't need to pretend to be nice to me... you don't need to keep me if you don't want me"  
Levi growled lowly, he pulled Eren towards him the best he could  
"I wouldn't put up with any of this if I didn't want you here"  
"You don't even know me"  
"I know enough and I'll know more when you're ready"  
"But I'm crazy..."  
Levi sighed  
"And I'm crazy about you. Now, are we going to stay down here all day?"  
"Y-you're crazy about me?"  
Eren was shaking his head   
"Yeah... I really am..."  
Eren started to cry and Levi awkwardly lifted the teen up as he stood, Eren's legs were wrapped around Levi's waist and the alpha carried him out and onto the bed. He sat Eren down carefully, but the teen didn't let go. Levi gently ran his fingers through Eren's hair  
"What are you thinking about?"  
"How... how nice you are... but... he was nice too... he told me I was perfect and lovely and how beautiful I was... and he still hurt me..."  
"Who was he?"  
Eren's breath hitched and he shook his head   
"Eren, he can't hurt you now"  
"I know... I know he can't..."  
Levi frowned, there was something more to that sentence  
"What happened to him?"  
"I can't tell you..."  
"You can tell me anything"  
"I can't tell you this..."  
Eren started crying harder and his legs unwrapped. Not caring about Levi's fingers in his hair, he threw himself back on the bed and buried his face against his pillow.

Levi slid his fingers up Eren's shirt and Eren gasped  
"What was done to you is unforgivable. I want to tear all those who hurt you apart..."  
He slid his fingers back down over the scars   
"Even if I deserved it?"  
"No one deserves what was done to you. Tell me who it was. Tell me so I can make them pay"  
Eren shook his head   
"He can't hurt you"  
"I know! I know he can't! I killed him!"  
The room fell silent, Levi didn't know what to say. The police file had said nothing about that   
Eren pulled himself up and looked at Levi, his red rimmed eyes were filled with such guilt and pain that Levi reached for him without caring  
"Aren't you disgusted? I killed him and your the only one who knows..."  
Levi shook his head  
"I don't know what to say, but I understand"  
"You don't! How could! I see him everywhere! I see him in my dreams!"  
"Do you see him now?"  
Eren shook his head slowly  
"Then that's alright. You're alright"  
"I don't deserve to be..."  
"You do"  
Levi felt his shirt growing damp but he didn't care, Eren had taken a huge step in telling him. He didn't know the details, but he couldn't picture Eren killing anyone... the what it's clawed at the back of his mind... Eren had tried to strangle him and he'd woken up to Eren's holding a knife... he swallowed hard and tried to push it all down. Eren pulled away and looked up at him  
"You're scared. You smell scared"  
"Not scared. Confused... I can't picture you killing anyone"  
Eren wiped at his face  
"It's 'cause in a bad omega"  
"You're not a bad omega... but will you tell me?"  
Eren bit down on his lip and rubbed it between his teeth  
"It happened... after they found me... and I was taken back to the facility. The director came to tell me... his. His family couldn't take the shame and he killed himself because of it all... if he hadn't been involved with me... he could have been happy"  
Eren dissolved back into tears and Levi pulled him close again  
"That wasn't your fault"  
"It was..."  
"You're not going to listen to me are you?"  
Levi's tone was harsher than he meant it to be and Eren stopped crying immediately. He almost laughed at the sudden stop  
"You didn't do it yourself. You didn't do anything..."  
"And that's why he's dead. I couldn't give him children..."  
"Children aren't everything, besides there are thousands of children out there who need loving families..."  
"You don't understand what it's like... we're supposed..."  
"You're supposed to be happy. That's all"  
Eren felt silent and the pair remained like that until the omega finally pulled back  
"Can I have some space?"  
"Will be alright?"  
Eren didn't reply and Levi forced himself away. He left the door open on the way out and sank down onto the sofa, pulling his blankets over himself as he sat and contemplated what the teen had said.

*  
Erwin found no links between Eren and people at the function. It frustrated Levi to know that 2 weeks had passed without knowing who had attacked Eren or why. Since his confession Eren had gone back to keeping to himself. He'd still cook dinner, but seemed to be going out of his way to about Levi all over again. This wasn't through Levi's lack of trying. Every chance he got, he'd invite Eren to watch TV or to go shopping or to do anything he wanted. Eren had politely declined everything and the alpha found his work performance suffering from it. He took two weeks leave and had no idea how that was going to go over.

The first day he was home, he scared the hell out of Eren by accident. Eren had been coming back from the bathroom and Levi coming down the stairs. Eren took one look at him and ran. Eventually Eren had ventured out again, but once again at the sight of Levi, he turned and retreated back to his room.

Levi made dinner that night, doing so gave him a reason to venture down to Eren's room. He found the room a total mess and Eren curled up in the middle of it all  
"Eren? Dinner"  
"I'm not hungry"  
"Too bad"  
Levi picked his way through the mess and sat next to Eren, the omega whimpered and blinked up at him  
"What are you doing?"  
Eren shook his head  
"I don't know"  
"Should I be worried?"  
"I don't know"  
Levi smiled slightly  
"Are you hungry?"  
Eren shook his head  
"I feel weird..."  
"Weird how?"  
"I don't know"  
Levi snorted and Eren just blinked at him  
"Let me take these back out to the living room and how about we watch something together"  
"My head hurts..."  
"Then we'll just cuddle up in my bed... seeing yours is..."  
Levi pushed himself up and Eren followed, he stumbled along behind Levi until the end of the hall. The alpha placed the plates in the fridge before returning to Eren and lifting him easily  
"You feel warm"  
Levi took a deep sniff and groaned, Eren wrinkled his face  
"Do I smell bad?"  
"No, but I know what's wrong"  
Levi resisted the urge to tear Eren's clothes off, instead carried him with the utmost care up to his room and laid him out on the king sized bed  
"You're going into heat... I can smell it on you"  
Eren let out a groan of his own   
"How did you not know?"  
"They... keep you drugged if your a problem omega... and the drugs have left my heats all messed up... they don't always present the same"  
Levi nodded, he sat down next to Eren  
"What do you want me to do? Do you want me to stay? Or I can go?"  
"I don't want you to go"  
Levi's mouth was dry... he was about to make a confession and Eren was probably going to laugh in his face over it. He summoned up his courage  
"Eren... before your heat hits properly, I need to tell you something"  
Eren sat up  
"What is it?"  
Levi felt his cheeks redden slightly  
"I've never been with an omega in heat... or in general..."  
Eren gaped and Levi stood, pacing besides the bed  
"Kenny kept a tight leash on me. He didn't want me making the same mistakes and you know I can't deal with the smell of omegas... other than you... and it just sort of never happened... outside my imagination"  
Eren didn't laugh as he expected. He reached out for Levi  
"I wish I was the same..."  
Levi sighed, he moved and retook his seat beside the omega  
"I didn't mean to..."  
"I know. But still... you don't have to stay if you don't want too"  
"I do. I want to stay"  
Levi's answer was embarrassingly fast and he covered his face with his hand  
"If I'm going into heat... I need to prepare you properly... try not to touch my back... if you can help it"  
Levi nodded quickly   
"And I want to show it to you properly"  
"You don't have too"  
"You need to understand... I can't be here with you if you don't. Just give me a minute before you come in"  
Eren slid from the bed and walked into Levi's bathroom, closing the door as he did. Levi was both aroused and mortified, he was worried he was going to do something very, very wrong, but most of his blood had more interest in obeying gravity and was focused south. He scolded himself and took a few deep breaths before walking around the side of the bed and over to the bathroom, he knocked lightly before opening the door. 

Eren was standing under the bright light, he'd stripped to his underwear, the burn scars extended beneath them and then down his thighs   
"It was a third degree burn. He poured it over my back and let it pool, that's why some parts are worse than others. Apparently I was lucky to survive"  
It was a mess, the skin between the scars seemed agitated, in some places pealing. Levi swallowed, he moved closer and Eren's watched him in the mirror   
"I'm lucky you survived"  
Eren turned to face him, in the light small scars he'd previously never noticed became visible  
"These ones happened when we first found out I couldn't give him kids. They weren't deep so they've faded. I'm scared of going into heat and I'm scared of this happening again. So I'm going to ask you again. Do you want to stay?"  
Levi stepped forward, his hands came up and cupped Eren's face as he pressed a kiss to the teens soft lips  
"Yes..."  
Eren rested his forehead against Levi's   
"How can you be so understanding?"  
"Because I'm crazy about you... I told you that before"  
"Maybe you're just crazy"  
Eren offered him a small smile and he nodded   
"If you're going into heat, I need to message Erwin and let him know not to let anyone come round... and we need food... and is there anything you want?"  
"Not to think about another alpha right now"  
Levi nodded  
"I don't think I can stand the idea of you thinking of another alpha"  
Levi took Eren's hand and led him downstairs, they both sorted through cupboards  
"You're selections horrible"  
"I know... we'll have to work on it for next time"  
"There's going to be a next time?"  
Levi's cheeks reddened again  
"That's... if it's alright with you. Fuck... I feel like a teenager again, I'm nervous..."  
Eren closed the cupboard he'd been looking in  
"I'm sorry"  
Levi looked up at him  
"You don't need to be sorry. I'm calling this food thing a write-off, should I ask Erwin to bring supplies?"  
"Can we get chocolate?"  
"If that's what you want"  
Eren nodded and Levi closed the cupboard, he moved over and pulled the omega close  
"Why don't you go wait upstairs, I'll message Erwin and organise everything..."  
He nuzzled Eren's neck before having to force himself away, the teen was leaking even more pheromones  
"You should go... or we might end up not making it up there"  
Eren nodded and walked away, Levi eyes firmly on the teens arse as he went. He hunted around for his phone and messaged Erwin telling him what was happening and asking him to bring copious amounts of chocolate, energy drinks and bottles of water. He paused before adding to bring something for dry and irritated skin. He smiled slightly at the mental image of Erwin's face when he read it. He headed upstairs to Eren, dropping his phone on the bedside table  
"Can we leave the light on... the one in the bathrooms fine..."  
Eren's voice was quiet and Levi nodded understandingly. Eren was probably just as nervous as he was, if not more.

The alpha sat beside the omega, Eren moved so he was straddling Levi's lap, he rested his head on Levi's shoulder and Levi loosely wrapped his hands around Eren's lower back  
"What do we do now?"  
Eren snorted  
"I don't know, sit here awkwardly and wait? Or we could touch a little..."  
Levi nodded and Eren sat up, the teen pressed his lips to Levi's and Levi melted under him, he let Eren slip his tongue into his mouth and moaned at the sensations. When Eren pulled back the teens eyes were wide and Levi pulled him back in for another kiss, rocking his hips gently as the smell of Eren's slick began to fill the air. Unexpectedly Eren pulled back and climbed off his lap  
"What's wrong?"  
"Clothes are in the way"  
Levi nodded, they both stripped and then Eren crawled back into Levi's lap, the teens hands explored his chest while slick began to dribble into Levi's crotch, the alpha wasn't sure where he was supposed to place his hands, so he grabbed and massaged at Eren's arse causing beautiful moans to spill from the teens lips  
"Levi?"  
Eren looked him before looking down  
"What is it?"  
"Can... can we have sex before my heat sets in properly...?"  
Levi's heart skipped a beat and his erection twitched at Eren's words  
"I want to have sex... before... while I can still think properly..."  
Levi nodded quickly, feeling like an idiot. He had no idea what to do, he stuttered out  
"H-how... d-do you w-want t-to..."  
Eren silenced him with a kiss  
"Don't be so nervous... I'll take the lead, when my heat hits your alpha instincts will take over, so for now, let me..."  
Levi nodded again and Eren climbed from his lap  
"Lay down properly"  
Levi shifted down the bed and then Eren climbed back over him. He licked and kissed the alphas neck and Levi moaned under his skilled hands  
"Touch me like this..."  
Eren continued down, he licked and sucked Levi's left nipple into a hard peak before doing the same to the right, the alpha arched under his tongue and Eren pulled back, he moved and pressed a deep kiss to Levi's lips, out of everything so far, kissing was definitely the best bit, Eren's lips were warmer and softer than he imagined, he wondered if the teen was good at giving head and then scolded himself, they had plenty of time for that at a later point.

Sitting back up, Eren rose to his knees, his fingers sliding out of view and Levi growled, he wanted so desperately to taste the slick he could here with every move of Eren's fingers, drops fell against his throbbing erection and he wanted so badly to be buried deeply inside. Eren took his time opening himself, small pants fell from his lips and Levi wished he was recording it all, he'd never seen anything so erotic. Eren stopped and slipped his fingers free, slick ran down his hand and Levi took it, looking him in the eye as he began to lick them clean, he couldn't help but moan at the taste, he'd never tasted anything like it and couldn't describe it if he'd tried, embarrassingly he came and Eren let out a whine, he palmed his own erection as Levi continued to lick his fingers until he came across the alphas chest and fell down into Levi's lap  
"I can't believe I came from that..."  
Levi released Eren's hand and Eren his his face   
"I don't know why you're embarrassed... I came too..."  
Eren nodded  
"We need towels... I'll get them"  
Levi watched as Eren climbed off him and walked to the bathroom, he glared down at his penis, already half hard again. Eren came back and cleaned him down before climbing back on top of him, he nuzzled at Levi's neck and Levi shook beneath him  
"Are you ready?"  
"Shouldn't I be asking you that?"  
"I'm an omega, I'm made for this"  
Levi shook his head and took Eren's face in his hands  
"If you're not ready, we don't have too"  
"I'm ready... just don't touch my back"  
"Where do I put my hands then?"  
"On my hips, when I rise up, you push me back down..."  
The alpha could only nod, and Eren positioned himself before sliding down onto his erection slowly. Levi swore his eyes rolled back in his head, a long moan fell from his lips. Eren was hotter and wetter than he could ever imagine, the teens insides twitched and pulsed around him, if he hadn't cum before, he would have came the moment he was inside. He waited until Eren began to move,He had no idea if he was doing what he was supposed to, but Eren worked them both into a rhythm that had them panting and gasping, Eren clenched around him and Levi snarled, he pushed himself up and bit down on Eren's shoulder, his knot forming as he did and he felt Eren tense before warmth splattered across his stomach, he rocked through his own orgasm until he couldn't move without Eren whimpering, his hands still on the teens hips even though he wanted to wrap his arms tightly around Eren and never let go. Instead Eren did that to him, he held Levi tight and rested his forehead back on the alphas shoulder. With the room quiet other than their ragged breathing, Levi couldn't help but wonder   
"Eren? Are you alright?"  
The omega nodded, he pressed a kiss to Levi's shoulder and the alphas heart soared  
"I'm alright, I just need a minute..."  
"Can I hug you?"  
Eren nodded and Levi moved his arms up, he hugged Eren firmly to his chest, the omega tensed as his hands rested on the burn scars, but began to relax, the omega let him hold him close until his knot finally began to deflate and then Eren slipped from his hold and grabbed the towel. Levi watched as Eren cleaned him and then laid the towel down and curled up on it, his head resting on the alphas left shoulder. Levi felt a wetness meet his skin and realised Eren had begun to cry silently.

Rolling over he pulled Eren up against him again, he rubbed the omegas back  
"What's wrong? Was it me?"  
"Noooo... I'm sorry..."  
"Shhhh, you don't need to be sorry. But you can talk to me..."  
"It's just.... why couldn't he love me? Why couldn't anyone love me? Why do they keep using me and leaving me?"  
Eren's silent tears turned to sobs   
"Because they're idiots, but because they're so stupid, I got to meet you... and I'm so lucky I did..."  
"I was with him... for two years... and he wouldn't even mark me..."  
"Is that what this is about? Do you want me to mark you?"  
Eren shook his head  
"I don't want unless you want it... I don't want you to bite me just because I'm upset"  
"What if I want to make you because I don't want to ever lose you?"  
"Than you're an idiot"  
Levi couldn't help but laugh at Eren's words, Eren sniffled and looked up at him, he wiped the tears away and smiled down at the teen  
"I would be honoured if you'd wear my mark"  
"R-really?"  
"Really"  
Eren shifted against him, pushing himself up and baring his neck in a sign of submission  
"Are you sure this is what you really want?"  
"If it's you... then it's ok..."  
Levi sat up, he pulled Eren closer and pressed a kiss to the site before biting down hard. His mouth filled with blood and a dizzy happy warmth spread through his whole body, he waited a few long seconds before pulling back and licking at the wound, once cleaned he nuzzled at Eren's neck   
"I'm so happy I met you"  
The omega nodded   
"Are you ready to give me your mark?"  
Eren nodded again and Levi bared his neck while Eren moved. His teeth sank into Levi's neck and Levi came, like before a warmth filled him, it truly felt like Eren was made for him. The omega finally pulled back and pressed a kiss to the site before pulling him into a kiss, the kiss deepened and Levi took the lead, he rolled Eren onto his back and devoured his mouth with the omega wrapped his legs around his waist. Levi was almost certain he couldn't cum again so soon, but he needed to inside his omega and Eren seemed to need him too. He pushed in and Eren moaned, his back arched before he flopped back down and Levi rested along his chest, buried inside but not moving, this wasn't about the sexual pleasure, it was about the connection and the need to be so close to each other that this was all they could do. They laid there not talking until the doorbell rang, Levi groaned as he pushed himself up. Eren looked so peaceful beneath him, he couldn't help but steal a kiss  
"I'll be right back. I promise"  
He nuzzled against Eren's neck before sliding out, the teen shivered and rushed to cover his naked love  
"Levi...?"  
"What is it?"  
"I'm really happy I met you too..."  
Levi came back to Eren's side, he kissed Eren lightly and brushed his hair back from his face before pressing a kiss to his forehead. The door bell rang again and Levi swore before finding his pants. Too embarrassed to say it to Eren's face after his performance in bed, he paused as he entered the PIN in for the door  
"Eren... I love you"  
He rushed out the room, feeling like an idiot.


	7. Chapter 7

Opening the front door, Levi let out aloud snarl, he didn't mean too, but with Eren's heat beginning, he couldn't even stomach his best friend on his door step. Erwin didn't seem concerned at all, instead he smiled as he pushed the box in his arms in Levi's  
"Supplies, If you run out text me"  
Erwin winked and Levi wanted to deck him, his heart was pounding mercilessly and he found he was grinding his back teeth together. Unable to thank his friend he forced a nod and then closed the door. Once Erwin was out of sight he relaxed slightly, but could still smell the man's lingering scent on the box. As much as it filled him with disgust, he found his friends scent was much more muted than normal and hoped that was because he and Eren were bonded. He would be quite happy to never smell the stink of another alpha or omega again. Eren was all he needed.

Walking into the bedroom, the first thing he noticed was Eren wasn't in bed and he carefully placed the box down. Pushing the shower door further open revealed the teen to be showering while soft sobs filled the room. He hadn't even noticed the showers was on when he'd entered his room, he was too busy trying to get his anger back under control. He kicked off his pants and walked over to the shower stall, Eren was huddled in a ball in the middle of it, rocking back and forth and whispering between sobs. Not caring about if he was about to be attacked, Levi sat with his legs spread and pulled Eren against him, the teen didn't stop his whispers and Levi swallowed down the hurt. His omega was apologising over and over to his previous alpha, promising to be good. He let out a choked growl and Eren jumped, he seemed to realise where he was and blinked at Levi   
"What's wrong? You smell angry?"

Levi took a deep breath, wondering if he was crazy for loving Eren despite his kaleidoscope of emotions  
"Just having Erwin around you put me on edge... are you done in the shower?"  
Eren nodded  
"I don't even remember getting in"  
"I'm just going to put that down to my superior sex technique"  
Eren giggled. An actual giggle fell from his perfect lips, Levi pulled him close and pressed kisses to his lips  
"Levi... calm down..."  
His hands slid down and massaged at Eren's arse, he wanted to claim his omega again, more than a little jealous about Eren's mini-relapse. His omega moved and rubbed up against him, the teens own hands moved to massage his arse and Levi had to admit it felt pretty good  
"Alpha..."  
Levi nodded and let Eren go, his omega stumbled from the shower and stopped once he hit the bench. Eren spread his long brown legs and Levi growled as he moved in behind him. The teens eyes were wide as he gently spread Eren's cheeks, cum and slick dribbled out together and he placed he pad of his thumb over the loose entrance. Eren whined and rocked back  
"What are you doing?"  
He sounded so impatient   
"I... watching my cum dribble out of you... it's so hot"  
Eren pushed his arse out further, he let out another whine   
"Alpha..."   
Levi forced himself not to take Eren right there. Instead he spun the teen around and lifted him easily, carrying him to bed, before spreading his legs and setting about licking and kissing as much as he could. With each touch Eren's scent rose that much further, his head felt foggy and as he finally slid inside Eren, he lost himself to the sensations.

He slumped against Eren, firmly knotted inside, the omega was lazily rubbing his back and he smiled at the intimacy between them. When his knot finally deflated he slid free and slid up next to Eren, he rolled the teen to chest   
"We should sleep... before your heat hits properly"  
Eren nodded  
"I'm sorry if I go crazy..."  
"It's alright, don't think about it..."

Levi didn't know what he expected from Eren being in heat, but whatever it was... it wasn't what happened. He'd heard the omegas went through waves of heat and waves of pain, but he didn't expect Eren would be sobbing over it or begging for his knot. More than once he'd woken up to the teen crying, he felt like a moron for not waking when his mate needed him. Eren had tried hiding from him, he'd bit him, woken screaming, woken with no idea who he was or where he was and the alpha was exhausted by the end of it all. He said a silent prayer when Eren's heat finally passed, he held his mate protectively close in a tangled mess of slick, sweat and cum. Levi nuzzled at Eren's hair, his omega was completely spent, Levi was sure Eren had lost weight and dark bags hung under his eyes, the alpha pulled the blankets up higher, covering Eren's shoulders and pressed a kiss to the top of teens head. Things would be better after some sleep.

*  
They slept through until the next day, Levi woke to Eren staring up at him, he crinkled his nose  
"We need to shower"  
The teen nodded but didn't move  
"Do you want me to carry you?"  
Eren nodded and yawned  
"I'm sorry... I can't feel my legs properly..."  
"Is that normal?"  
"Mmmm... can we have a bath?"  
"Whatever you want"  
Eren ducked his head and Levi smiled softly  
"Wait here and I'll fill the bath..."  
"Thank you..."

Walking into the bathroom the alpha paused, he didn't remember having sex with Eren in here, but the traces of sex were everywhere, he stuck his head back into the bedroom  
"I need to clean up in here first, why don't you sleep a little longer"  
Eren shifted under the blankets but didn't reply and Levi went about cleaning the bathroom up.

It took longer than expected to completely clean the bathroom, but once done he ran the bath for Eren, using bodywash for bath bubbles. He was quiet proud of the result and was confident his mate would too. He turned the shower on and ran the water at a little over lukewarm, before heading back into the bedroom and rousing his sleeping omega. Eren was limp in his arms as he carried him into the shower, he used his knee to help balance the teen as Eren weakly scrubbed down his body. The teens chest was a mess of hickeys and Levi winced at the hand shaped bruises on his hips. When Eren turned his back towards him Levi's heart dropped, he'd scratched the abused skin and it was scabbed in places  
"I'm sorry"  
Eren turned back, his eyes wide   
"I... I messed your back"  
Levi looked down, but Eren reached his arms around him and hugged him weakly  
"It's alright, I know you didn't do it to hurt me, heats can be a bit wild"  
Levi snorted  
"Only a little... how do you feel about it all?"  
Eren shook his head  
"I'm honestly still too tired, I'm surprised I seem to be making sense"  
As if to accentuate his point the omega yawned loudly and Levi lifted him up again, carrying him out the shower and laying him in the bath. The look on Eren's face was worth it, he patted the bubbles like small child, while Levi ducked back into the shower to finish cleaning himself down. It only took a few minutes before he was once again stepping out, he opened his mouth to ask Eren how he was doing, but the teen was already asleep and the alpha decided to leave him soaking while he remade the bed.

Slick and cum had left the sheets hard, he winced as he peeled them off the bed, it wasn't like he hadn't changed the bedding during the heat, but if anyone was too look at the messed up items, they'd be excused for thinking otherwise. He bundled the lot up and carried them down to the laundry, setting in on an intensive cycle and adding another half a cup of liquid to the wash. He'd probably need to run them through later, but for now he had to content himself with heading back upstairs and finding some pants for the pair of them, before remaking the bed. He was nearly done when the sound of splashing came from the bathroom. He rushed in to find Eren panicking  
"Eren?"  
He knelt down and shook the teens shoulders, it was a few long moments before Eren started to settle down  
"What happened?"  
Levi shook his head  
"I think you had a nightmare, but I can't be sure... I was making the bed"  
Eren looked down and Levi sighed lightly  
"Do you want to get out now?"  
"Please"  
The teens voice was soft and sad, Levi grabbed a towel for Eren before lifting him from the tub and into his lap. His fresh pants were soon dampened from the water that had spilt across the floor  
"I can dry myself..."  
Levi pressed a kiss to Eren's temple  
"Let me do it"  
When Eren didn't reply, Levi lifted him and carried him to bed, sitting on him down on the edge before beginning to dry omega. Small sniffled caused him to look up from drying Eren's legs  
"What's wrong?"  
Eren shook his head and wiped at his eyes   
"It's nothing... I'm sorry"  
"It's something if you're crying... tell me?"  
"It's just... I've never been treated this well after a heat... even... even when we were happy... he'd always leave me to clean up after... I don't know what to say or do..."  
"You don't have to say or do anything... you're my mate and I love you"  
Eren shook his head again and Levi reached up and cupped his face   
"It's alright, you're alright. I'm here and I'm not leaving you..."  
"Than-thank you..."  
The alpha smiled and placed a kiss to Eren's lips, its was just a small soft one but when he pulled back Eren was smiling ever so slightly. Fuck he was hopelessly in love with this brat. He couldn't believe he'd barely known him for 2ish months. Eren let him finish drying him before he helped the teen into a pair of sweats and laid him down. He then changed his own wet pants and grabbed the blanket off the floor, before flicking it expertly over the bed and Eren's form  
"Are you hungry?"  
"Do we have any chocolate let?"  
Levi looked over at the half destroyed box  
"Let me check"  
A quick check revealed they only had one bar left, he grabbed it and the cream he'd asked Erwin to pick up for Eren's back  
"Eren, I've got some cream here, do you mind if I do your back?"  
"If you do it now... I'm too tired to be ashamed"  
The words punched through his heart, he passed Eren the chocolate bar and climbed onto the bed   
"Lay on your stomach for me?"  
Eren obeyed and Levi pulled the blanket back enough so he could access all of Eren's back. He spent the next 5 minutes gently rubbing the cream over his mates skin. Eren had no reason to be ashamed, and it hurt Levi to think the teen believed he did. Once done he pulled back and went to give Eren a kiss. The teen was asleep with the half eaten chocolate bar still in his hand like a little kid. Carefully Levi pulled the bar out and folded the wrapper over before setting it and the cream on the bedside table. He pulled the blanket up and slid close to Eren, his omega immediately shifted in his sleep, grabbing for the alpha. Levi pulled him close and soon was asleep.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rawr! I'm a dinosaur! How you all doing my pretties?

Levi was loathe to return to work, Eren had spent the last few days holed up in his room, the omega was obviously struggling with something, but refused to let Levi in. Levi let Eren have his space, but that didn't mean he wasn't concerned.

Walking into his office, he sighed deeply at Kenny sitting behind his desk, it was barely 8 am and the man was already nursing a whiskey neat  
"Kenny"  
"Levi! I heard the good news"  
Levi had no idea what the man was on about and he calmly placed his briefcase on the desk  
"Good news?"  
"Eren going into heat. I assume you spent it with him"  
"Naturally"  
"He'll have the best obstetrics care"  
Levi pinched the bridge of his nose  
"Aren't you getting a bit carried away?"  
Kenny glared and stood, he finished his glass and placed it back on Levi's desk, the alpha walked around and placed his hand on Levi's shoulder  
"Make it happen"  
Levi clenched his fists in anger and disgust. Eren was a fucking human, not a bitch to bred. He sat behind his desk, his skin crawled from the warmth Kenny had left behind, he picked the man's glass up and dropped it in the trash, that's all Kenny was to him. Trash. Psychosomatically his shoulder throbbed. Thanks to the miracle of plastic surgery, the bullet wound from where Kenny had shot him as a boy was long gone, but the ache returned from time to time, dragging the memories along with it. He knew the fear Eren felt over dying, he still dreamt about lying bleeding and staring up at the sky. They'd been hunting when it happened and Kenny had played the whole thing off as an accident, no one questioned him. When Erwin knocked on the office door and walked in Levi growled before smacking his head against his desk  
"Levi?"  
"What is it?"  
"I just wanted to check in, I saw Kenny leaving..."  
"It's fine. He was just telling me to do my job and get Eren pregnant"  
Erwin frowned  
"You haven't told him?"  
"Would you? Besides, we don't know for sure..."  
"You could always have his files reviewed"  
"And what? Risk getting his hopes up?"  
"You can always wait until the results are in"  
Levi shook his head, but Erwin interjected  
"If Eren doesn't fall pregnant, Kenny is going to look into this himself, you know he will. It's either you do it or Kenny does"  
Levi groaned  
"You still have the copies of his files right?"  
"I'll send them to Hanji, see what she makes of it all"  
"No, I'll send them to her... you better get back to work"  
"I'll bring the files up after lunch. We're supposed to be in a meeting with Marley from 9"  
"We have a meeting with Marley?"  
Erwin looked slightly bemused  
"I know you were busy, but I sent through the confirmation details, it's about product exports"  
Levi groaned and smacked his head lightly against his desk  
"You better fill me in"

The meeting was agonisingly slow, Levi left the majority to Erwin, and more than once his mind drifted to Eren. Did Eren want kids? Did he want kids? Wasn't it too soon? What happens if Eren was truly infertile? He paled, remaining in his seat as everyone left, Erwin came to sit beside him, the alpha clicked his fingers in front of Levi's face and Levi tried his best to glare, but it came out half heartedly  
"Earth to Levi?"  
"Sorry, I was thinking"  
"That much is obvious. Let me guess you were thinking about Eren?"  
"Yeah... it's alright, can you bring those files up now?"  
Erwin waited until Levi stood and followed him from the conference room, they parted at Levi's office and Levi headed in, taking a seat behind his computer. He hadn't talked to Hanji in years, she was always much closer to Erwin than him, and he felt awkward about talking to her about his mate. He opened up a blank document and spent the next half hour writing and rewriting about Eren's past medical history and about his father being a doctor. He hesitated before deciding not to include the information about his mates mental health. He sighed and held down backspace, erasing everything. He closed the document and leant back in his chair. Erwin knocked on his door a few minutes later and brought Eren's files over  
"Are you sure you don't want me to contact her on your behalf?"  
Levi shook his head  
"No, Eren is my omega, I'll contact her"  
Erwin hesitated, but left again without saying anything more. Levi made a mental note to take both Hanji and Erwin out to dinner sometime soon to say thank you. Pulling out a thick writing pad, he jotted a quick note asking Hanji to read the files and to call him. Pulling up her fax number, he sent everything through. Part of him felt like he was betraying Eren by not telling him and he hoped this wouldn't all backfire. The rest of the day was spent with a small twist in his stomach, the hours seemed to drag on, grating at his nerves and leaving him jumpy and thoroughly annoyed. Hanji hadn't called him back and he was resisted the urge to call her. 

Arriving home, the house was silent and dark, he flicked the lights for the living area on, eliciting a small moan from the direction of the couch. He smiled and walked over to sofa, Eren was buried under one of his blankets, the tips of his brown hair poking out. Levi placed his things down on the coffee table and squatted down, rolling Eren gently towards him, he leant forward enough to block the light from blinding his mate as he did. Eren's face was white, but his cheeks were light red and his eyes scrunched up in pain  
"Eren?"  
Levi laid his hand on Eren's forehead, he didn't feel hot  
"What's wrong?"  
"My... head... hurts..."  
Levi pulled the blanket back up, coverings Eren's face  
"Hide here while I get you some pain meds"  
The omega rolled away from him and Levi stood, he moved into the kitchen and retrieved the panadol and water. Moving back to the sofa, he sat next to Eren's curled up form  
"Can you sit up for me"  
Eren kept his eyes closed as he did, his face went even whiter and Levi wasn't surprised when Eren vomited in his lap. Eren started crying and he rushed to reassure his mate that it was alright. Once Eren had gotten it all out of his system Levi passed him the pills and water, Eren swallowed them down and settled back down, he shivered as Levi pulled the blanket over him again. The alpha carefully made his way up to his room, his suit was soaked with vomit, but the jacket had taken the worst of it. He pulled of his belt and toed off his shoes, before stepping into the shower. He rinsed off and then stripped, showering properly, before drying off and dressing comfortably and heading back down to mate. He grabbed a bucket from the laundry and even managed to find a few bottles of water buried at the back of the fridge. He briefly thought about making Eren something to eat, but dismissed the thought, Eren was more than likely suffering through a migraine and the smell of food would probably have him vomiting again. He turned the kitchen lights on, and then the the living room lights off. He sat down next to his omega and placed the bucket and bottles of water within easy reach. Eren wriggled up so his head was in Levi's lap and Levi draped his arm over the bundle  
"Your phone rang"  
Eren sniffled and Levi leant over him, pulling his briefcase closer while making sure not to smother the teen. He'd missed a call from Hanji. He sent her a quick email saying that he was sorry to have missed her call, and that Eren currently had a migraine, so he'd call her back when the teen was feeling better. He flicked his phone to silent and settled back. He wasn't about to leave Eren to suffer alone, so he spent the next few hours scrolling through various news articles until his battery informed him it was down to 20%. He went to place his phone back on the table but Eren stiffened and he grabbed the bucket, barely making it in time  
"I'm sorry"  
"It's fine, how's your head feeling?"  
"Sore"  
"Do you want anything to eat?"  
"I think it'll end up in the bucket"  
Levi scolded himself  
"Do you want to go to bed?"  
"Don't want to move..."  
"I'll carry you, you can sleep with me tonight and I'll be out the aircon on, the coolness should help"  
"But I'm freezing..."  
"That's what the blankets are for, trust me?"  
Eren nodded and Levi moved things out the way before sliding out from under Eren and lifting him easily. He carried him upstairs and unlocked his bedroom door, carrying Eren over and settling Eren down. He turned the aircon on as well as the bathroom light  
"I'm going to feed Titan, and then I'll come back"  
"'K..."

Downstairs Levi cleaned out the bucket, they shouldn't need it now, not with the ensuite right there. He cracked a can of cat food, Titan came flying from nowhere and jumped up on the counter, head butting at Levi's hand for the food. He smiled down at the impatient cat, he place the tin down and gave Titan a quick scratch. Before heading upstairs he grabbed his phone and the water bottles. 

*  
Eren was still in pain the following morning, and Levi called Hanji. His omega didn't want to see anyone, but Levi was too worried about him. He'd tried to get Eren to sip water, but he kept throwing it back up. The doorbell rang a little after 9 and Eren looked up at him so sadly as slipped from bed.

Hanji stood patiently on the front door step, she was dressed in a causal cut suit, with a small medical bag in her hand  
"Levi, it's been too long"  
She kissed him briefly on the cheek before walking into the entry  
"Eren's upstairs. He doesn't know I sent you those files"  
She made the motions of zipping her lips and throwing away the key, Levi could only shake his head as he lead her inside and up to his room. He knocked lightly on the open door, Eren was hidden under the blankets  
"Eren, Hanji's here, she's the doctor I told you about this morning"  
Levi climbed onto the bed and pulled back the blankets, Eren tried to hide, but he gently pulled the teen up and into his lap  
"Eren, Levi tells me your head hurts?"  
Eren nodded and then groaned  
"Is it alright if I give you a once over?"  
Eren didn't reply, so Levi gave a small nod.  
The woman gently checked him over, she hummed lightly  
"He's not on any medication?"  
"No"  
"I'm pretty sure it's just a migraine, but he's also very dehydrated"  
"He can't keep anything down, even when he just sips at the water"  
"I'd like to have him admitted to hospital..."  
"No..."  
Eren started shaking and he tried to crawl from Levi's lap. Levi was hit with a wave of distress and he growled in response, pulling Eren closer to him like he was trying to protect him  
"I want to run an IV line, he needs the fluids"  
Eren shook his head, groaning in obvious pain. Hanji looked to Levi  
"I'd say he doesn't like hospitals"  
"Well, we really need to get some fluid into him"  
"Can you do that here?"  
"Not really..."

Levi nuzzled at Eren, he leant close to the omegas ear  
"Eren, I'll be there the whole time"  
"I don't want to go..."  
"And I don't want you to get any worse"  
Tears spilled down Eren's cheeks  
"That's not fair"  
Hanji leant in  
"I know hospitals are scary places, but Levi will be with you the whole time and once we get your fluids up, you'll feel a whole heap better"  
Eren's lip quivered and he looked up at Levi before nodding.

*  
Eren was shaking the whole trip to the hospital, Levi kept him in his lap, the bucket between both their legs. He hadn't thrown up so far. He made it to the car park before throwing up, Hanji wrinkled her nose and side stepped the small puddle, Eren was left gagging and whimpering in Levi's arms. The alpha had expected to be relegated to waiting in the Emergency Room, but Hanji pulled out a pass and unlocked the door, ushering them in. Levi eyed Her curiously  
"Didn't Erwin tell you I work here?"  
Levi shook his head  
"What happened to the practice?"  
"Rent went up, besides, I feel like I'm helping more people here"  
She lead them through to a room that was through a labyrinth of corridors. She held the door open Levi and Eren, Levi walked over to the single bed and laid him down. Eren whined gently. Hanji busied herself and Levi spent his time trying to keep him calm. He screamed when she came near him with a needle and Eren's eyes rolled back, he slumped backwards unconscious  
Levi looked to Hanji in desperation  
"The pain was probably too much, and the stress from being here. I'll go ahead and put the line in and get him something for the migraine"

Hanji did as she said she would and Levi held Eren's hand tightly. He really hoped this would help his mate  
"I'll grab the intake form, but Levi, while I'm here, do you mind if I get s blood sample?"  
Levi eyed her for a minute  
"Does he need a blood test?"  
"I just want to make sure everything's in order..."  
Levi looked down at Eren  
"You better do it before he wakes up"  
Hanji walked over to the line of trays against the wall. She pulled down a cannula and a few vials  
"I'll deliver these to pathology after I pick his forms up"  
Levi nodded, he winced as she cleaned Eren's elbow and applied a tourniquet until the vein rose, she loosened the band as she slid the needle in. For the first time in his life, Levi nearly passed out watching the needle slide in. He swallowed hard and looked away. It only took a few seconds before Hanji announced she was done and pulled the cannula out, placing pressure over the site before covering it with a bandaid  
"I'll be back soon, just try and keep him calm if he wakes up"  
Levi nodded, he'd forgotten English and couldn't remember how to say thank you. She walked from the room and Levi let go of Eren's hand, he crossed around to the other side of the bed and climbed up next to Eren.

Hanji came back with Eren's forms, she'd filled in what she could and explained to Levi that it'd take a few hours for the results of the blood tests to come back. She said nothing about Levi laying with Eren, instead gave a small smile, this time Levi found his words and thanked her. She laughed it off lightly, before leaving again.

Eren woke up just after Hanji had removed the IV line. He scrambled away from Levi, falling sideways off the bed before shuffling backward across the floor  
"Levi?"  
"It's alright Hanji, this happens sometimes"  
Levi moved from the bed and over to Eren, he gently pulled the teens hands away from his face, forcing Eren to look at him  
"Eren? Can you hear me?"  
Eren let out a sob and shook his head  
"Levi?"  
"He's fine Hanji. Just give us a moment"  
Levi held Eren until he finally started to calm. The omega kept casting glances towards Hanji  
"That's Hanji remember? She came to the house this morning... you're in hospital because you were dehydrated... do you remember?"  
Eren shook his head quickly and Levi bit down a sigh  
"You're safe. I promise. Can you move?"  
Eren nodded and Levi helped him up and over to the bed. The teen flinched back as Hanji approached, she leant down as if talking to a hold  
"Eren, I'm Hanji. I work here. Levi called me this morning because you had a migraine. Is your head still sore?"  
Eren nodded at her, his eyes innocently wide  
"I'll give a shot for the pain, and then Levi can take you home? Does that sound alright?"  
Eren nodded slowly, his eyes downcast as he did. Hanji moved over the trays again and pulled out a needle  
"You'll feel a tiny pinch, and then that's it... and when Levi takes you home, he's going to make you something good to eat"  
Eren nodded again and Hanji quickly gave him the shot. Levi was impressed at the way Hanji had adapted to the situation, even if she did shoot him a "we need to talk about this look". She placed a bandaid over the site and then another over where the cannula had been  
"Eren, if you still feel sick tonight, make sure you tell Levi"  
Eren nodded and Levi strongly doubted his mate would  
"I'll call you with the results. Make sure he eats something, it doesn't have to be a big meal, but he needs the nourishment it takes a lot out of you being sick"  
Levi glared at her and Hanji poked her tongue out, he helped Eren down from the bed, taking his hand firmly  
"Are you alright to walk?"  
Eren nodded, he swayed slightly for the first few steps, but let Levi support him. They followed Hanji back to the doors  
"I'll take care of the paper work and I'll call you about those results later"  
"Thank you. I owe you, actually how about you contact Erwin and we'll go out for dinner or something, it's the least I can do"  
Hanji nodded, she smiled as she looked to Eren  
"You're lucky to have him, he's good for you"  
Levi pressed a quick kiss to Eren's temple, the teen looked embarrassed for a second  
"He really is, thanks again"  
Eren mumbled a low thank and Hanji hit the button to open the doors.

*  
Eren had perked up by the time they arrived home and Levi was more than a little relieved. He sat the teen down on the sofa and Titan came running, he rubbed against Eren's legs before jumping up into Eren's lap, the omega immediately began to stroke him carefully  
"What do you feel like eating?"  
"Do I have to?"  
"Doctors orders"  
Eren huffed and Levi snorted softly  
"What about some toast? That wouldn't be too bad right?"  
Eren nodded and Levi moved away. He ended up making a small stack, his own stomach grumbled, reminding him he hadn't eaten since the day before. He also made two cups of tea, adding extra sugar to Eren's. The omega didn't complain. He ate slowly and finished a piece and a half as well as most of the tea before yawning  
"Do you want to go back to bed?"  
Eren nodded and Levi finished the piece of toast he was eating. He lifted Titan out of Eren's lap and then lifted the teen up easily  
"You don't have to carry me"  
"I know, but I want to"  
Eren rested his forehead against Levi's shoulder and the alpha started towards his bedroom  
"I'm sorry for being a nuisance"  
"You're not a nuisance"  
"But I got sick... and I threw up"  
"And you couldn't help it"  
"But I'm not supposed to get sick"  
"Eren, everyone gets sick. It just means I can pamper you even more until you feel better"  
Levi sat Eren on the edge of the bed, his omega was biting hard on his lip  
"What is it?"  
Eren released his lip and opened his mouth before closing it, he shook his head and crawled into bed, rolling away from Levi. The alpha quickly climbed into bed and pulled Eren up against his chest  
"What's wrong?"  
"I feel like a bad omega..."  
Levi laughed softly and Eren tried to wriggle away  
"You're not a bad omega"  
"But I'm so messed up"  
"And so am I"  
"You keep saying that, but you... you never let it show..."  
"That's because my trauma happened years ago, I still have nightmares and hell, I work for the guy who tried to kill me... you're fine the way you are, and you've made so much progress"  
"No I haven't"  
"You have, you talk to me now, and you let me cuddle you and you're getting better at telling me what you want or need or when something's wrong"  
"But I'm still crazy... when Hanji asked me in hospital if I remembered her... I really couldn't... but now we're home... I kind of can... somethings wrong with me..."  
Eren sniffled  
"... what... what I do something bad? Like hurt you... I don't want to hurt you..."  
"You won't"  
"But you don't know that for sure and... and I killed someone... and sometimes I still see him and I'm not right in the head..."  
Levi nuzzled the back of Eren's neck  
"These things take time and I told you before, you didn't kill anyone"  
Eren wrenched Levi's arm off him, and scrambled off the bed  
"I did! I killed him! I killed Reiner! They told me! They told me I did!"  
Levi sat up, he needed a moment to process. Eren just said Reiner  
"Eren. This is very important. Did you say Reiner?"  
Eren shook his head and sank to his knees, his whole body shook as he rocked back and forth  
"Eren. Did you say Reiner. Like Reiner Braun?"  
Eren whimpered and Levi climbed off the bed, he crawled across the floor slowly to Eren  
"Eren. Reiner isn't dead. He was at the party Kenny threw for us"  
Eren shook his head  
"Nooooo... I saw him... but he wasn't there... not really... he's dead..."  
"We watched the whole tape of the night, Erwin and I. He was there and very much alive"  
Eren shook his head and wailed  
"Nooooo... you're lying!"  
Levi grabbed Eren's wrists, Eren tried to pull himself free  
"I swear to you, on our bonding marks. Reiner Braun isn't dead..."  
Eren looked at him, he blinked a few times  
"Erwin knew him from sight and I can show you the footage... but if Reiner was your previous alpha... why was there no trace between the two of you"  
"His family... his family is crazy connected... I... I'm not surprised they erased all trace... they probably told the director to tell me he was dead"  
Eren's voice held no emotion and it hurt Levi to listen. It was like Eren just accepted that that was it. His own anger flared  
"Eren. I know it hurts, but I promise you. I promise he won't get away with what he did"  
"He already has..."  
"No, not now that I know who he is. I don't care what I have to do, I will keep you safe"  
Eren shook his head sadly and Levi was finally able to pull him close  
"I love you, and I will protect you"  
Eren shook his head  
"I don't know what to believe anymore... I don't even know if you're real"  
"I'm real and I'm here"  
Levi rubbed Eren's back gently, he tried to forced his anger further down, but all he wanted to go was find Reiner and tear him limb from limb. Eren started to push him away, but Levi held on tighter  
"Can... can you let me go..."  
Levi forced himself to loosen his hold, Eren slipped back  
"I want to sleep..."  
That all he said before moving up off the floor and into bed, Levi pushed himself up  
"Do you want me to stay?"  
"I need to be alone for a while"  
"Alright, I'll be right downstairs. Call me if you need me... please..."  
Eren didn't reply and Levi forced himself to walk from the room. His feet fell heavily, each step away from Eren was harder than the one before. Once downstairs he pulled his phone out and let out a long breath. His instincts screamed at him to go find Reiner and tear him apart, but they also screamed at him he needed to be with Eren. Instead, he called Erwin. He asked his friend to bring his laptop and come over. He needed someone else here, someone to stop him going crazy about being so helpless and useless. Once the call ended he dropped his phone next to him and leant right back against the back the sofa, his gaze firmly on the ceiling above. He'd never felt this level of hate for anyone other than Kenny and it scared him, but at the same time he could feel the blood rushing through his veins. He was going to enjoy ruining Reiners life.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys! Why can't I just write short stories! I'm always like... it's gonna be short... it's gonna be under 20k... nope...
> 
> Anyway... I hope all my lovelies are doing alright! I miss all your comments so comment more!

Levi ushered Erwin inside, he warned his friend he needed to be quiet because Eren was sick and sleeping, he could see the concern and maybe a tiny hint of annoyance that crossed Erwin's cool features. They moved into the living room and Erwin placed down his laptop bag   
"Levi, this whole place stinks of angry alpha. Did something happen?"  
"Just... let me get my own laptop and then I'll fill you in. If I start now I'm likely to explode"  
Levi grabbed his laptop and a notebook from the study, before returning to the living room where Erwin was setting up his own laptop. He sat down and growled as he pressed the power button on the device  
"Levi. I can see you shaking"  
"Eren... he finally told me his old alphas name"  
"And?"  
Levi couldn't believe how calm Erwin sounded  
"It's Reiner"  
Erwin nodded and Levi snarled   
"You knew! You knew didn't you!"  
He launched himself at his friend, but Erwin smoothly pinned his arms  
"No, I didn't know... I'm just not surprised. That family is a mess"  
Levi growled as Erwin let him go  
"I will not let them get away with this. I will ruin his fucking life"  
"Levi, you need to calm down"  
"No. What I need is to tear him apart and make him bleed... but for Eren... I need to do things the right way... that's why I called you"  
Levi threw himself back down into his previous spot, he promptly sat forward and rested his head in his hands  
"That's good... that you realise that. If it's legally I'll do what I can"  
Levi nodded and then jumped when his phone began to ring, Erwin was closer  
"It's Hanji"  
"Fuck. I need to take this"

Levi snatched his phone up and walked from the room. His feet carried him to Eren's room and e slid his thumb across the screen to answer   
"Hanji, you better have good news"  
"Well... I do... sort of..."  
"Either spit it out or fuck off"  
Levi let out a sigh  
"Sorry. That was uncalled for. What was your news?"  
"I had a look at Eren's blood tests"  
"And?"  
"He's pregnant. I don't know why he had so much trouble before, but he's pregnant"  
Levi's mind went blank, his heart was racing, his rage against Reiner was gone in an instant  
"Levi? Can you hear me?"  
Levi took a deep breath, nodding even though he knew she couldn't see him  
"Yeah... sorry..."  
"As I was saying, his body is probably in a state of confusion, I can see why they thought he couldn't fall pregnant, the doses he was given and the combinations... they're just too extreme. It's like someone's been experimenting on him with the doses. Even though the traces were minute, they still scare me. He's been with you for nearly 3 months right?"  
"Yeah"  
"The drugs should have been completely gone"  
"But he had his heat and everything"  
"That shouldn't have happened. I have no idea what they did to him, but I intend to find out"  
Levi nodded   
"Will this affect the baby?"  
"You'll need to monitor him carefully. That episode that happened today, does that happen regularly?"  
"Sometimes..."  
"And does he do other things?"  
"He says he sees things, he saw his ex alpha, but that was because they told him he was dead and blamed it on Eren... sometimes he has nightmares and sometimes he sleepwalks"  
The line went quiet  
"Hanji?"  
"Sorry, I'm just writing this down. I want you to start keeping track of all these things. Time, date, duration, actions... he may get worse as the pregnancy progresses"  
Levi sighed, his hope fading, Eren already thought himself crazy  
"Alright... I need to go... can I... should I tell him he's pregnant?"  
"How long ago was his heat?"  
"A couple of weeks"  
Hanji hummed  
"I think it might be for the best if you did... in case something happens, the shock might be too great otherwise and he needs to know you're they're for him... do you have anyone there for you?"  
"I have Eren"  
"Levi, you're doing a wonderful job with him, that was obvious by how much trust he's placed in you, but it's got to be hard doing it alone"  
"I'm fine. I'm not alone at the moment, Erwin's here"  
"Oh, that would explain why he didn't answer my call earlier. Don't forget to ask him about dinner. It better he somewhere nice"  
Levi snorted  
"Trust me, it will be. Hanji, thank you"  
"It's alright, now go tell Eren or back to whatever you were doing and don't forget to update me if he gets worse or you need help or anything. I'm happy to work for food"  
The call ended and Levi stared down at his phone. Eren was pregnant... so easily... it was insane... his heart was pounding and he found himself stumbling and then running up to his bedroom, completely ignoring Erwin on the way.

Eren was laying, staring at the doorway without blinking. Levi rushed over to the bed and half launched himself at the teen, he nuzzled and peppered kisses all over Eren's face until Eren pushed him away  
"What is it? Why are you so happy"  
Levi opened and closed his mouth, he pushed Eren onto his back and kissed him deeply before pulling back and pulling up Eren's shirt, kissing the teens stomach   
"Levi?"  
Eren was clearly scared, his hands came to pull at his shirt  
"Levi"  
The alpha finally pulled back, he looked into Eren's eyes  
"Hanji called"  
"And?"  
"And she did a blood test while you were unconscious"  
Eren frowned, he crawled slightly back  
"It was to make sure everything was alright... I know it's really early days... but she says your pregnant"  
Eren looked hurt... beyond hurt... tears welled in his eyes immediately   
"That's not funny..."  
Levi shook his head  
"I'm serious. She just called me"  
Eren shook his head and slid backwards until he could climb off the bed  
"That's not funny... how could you say that... I... why are you making fun of me"  
Eren looked at him so heartbroken that Levi's smile finally faded   
"It's true"  
The teen shook his head  
"Stop lying!"  
"Eren, I'm not lying"  
"Am I just a joke to you! Is what I went through all a big laugh! Everyone at the facility thought so! Poor crazy Eren! Didn't stop them from touching me! Didn't stop them from laughing at me!"  
Eren struggled to draw in breath, Levi moved towards himself but Eren back away  
"We tried! We tried for so fucking long! They said it was me! How can you say this!"  
The teen collapsed forward and Levi caught him, he felt like a douche, but he hadn't expected this... when he thought about it he realised he should have. Eren had had enough of a traumatic day, and then they'd only just been talking about Reiner. He'd fucked up again. He rubbed Eren's back and hushed him gently, Eren whimpered in his arms  
"Is he alright?"  
Eren tensed in Levi's arms and Levi forced himself to remain calm, it wasn't Erwin's fault  
"He will be. Can you wait downstairs"  
"Call me if you need me"

He waited a few seconds before reassuring Eren that Erwin was gone, the teen still didn't relax. Awkwardly he moved backwards and pulled Eren over so he was seated in his lap  
"I didn't mean to hurt you, and I'm not lying. I was just so excited that I didn't think. I'm sorry"  
Eren didn't reply and Levi rested his head on the omegas shoulder   
"He... ruined... my back... he punished me... he did so many things to me... and I deserved it... so why now..."  
"You didn't deserve it"  
"Why didn't I fall pregnant... he wouldn't have hurt me..."  
"Eren, you don't know, he might have... or you and your baby..."  
"He said he loved me..."  
Levi didn't know what to say, Eren's voice was a whisper, a whisper full of pain, he went to move his hands again but Eren whimpered  
"What's wrong?"  
"My... back... hurts"  
Levi immediately withdrew his hands, he had a feeling that like where he'd been shot, Eren's pain was coming from the memories   
"Levi... I'm scared"  
"I know..."  
"I don't know what to do"  
"I don't either"  
"I really wanted to have kids and now I'm scared"  
"I'm scared too... but it'll be alright, if it's the two of us..."  
"What if I miscarry"  
"And what if you don't"  
Eren fell quiet and Levi look his hands, intertwining their fingers. They stayed like that until Levi realised that Eren had either fallen asleep or passed out. He picked his love up and carried back to their bed. He tucked Eren in again and kissed his forehead again. He'd do anything to protect him... and the life that was taking shape inside.

*  
Over the next month Erwin and Levi worked hard to build a case against Reiner. Eren would shut down whenever Reiner's name was mentioned, so Levi was attempting to build a case that didn't centre around just the abuse, instead he'd thrown himself completely into investigating every conceivable lead. He knew he'd become obsessive, but found he just couldn't stop.

Eren had taken to basically living his bedroom, if Erwin was around he'd hide in Levi's room, but other than that he would generally refuse to leave his room. More than once Levi had tried to enter Eren's room, but all he got was the teen staring at him with such fear and sadness, he just couldn't do it. He didn't want to scare his mate... even when all he wanted to do was hold him. Using the first time they had sex and bonded as the conception date, that meant that Eren was only 6 weeks, which meant another 34 weeks of unpredictability.... provided nothing went wrong. As it was, more than once, he'd woken up screaming, the images of Eren dying or their baby dying, or sometimes even Kenny killing both of them in front of him haunted him. Sometimes after waking up he was sure he heard the soft steps of someone outside retreating. Because of this he'd grown accustomed to sleeping maybe 4 hours a night, Erwin was worried for him, insisting he take time off from work or take time off from the case. He refused to do either. 

Eren was due for his first ultrasound appointment this afternoon and Levi didn't know how to tell him, he hadn't exactly been able to have much of a conversation outside the few times he'd caught Eren outside his bedroom or bundled up in his bedroom. The alpha sighed deeply as he walked along Eren's hallway, before knocking on the closed door, he waited a good minute before opening the door  
"Eren?"  
Eren was curled up in bed and Levi smiled at the sight, hell even on the worst days Eren always made him smile. He crossed to the bed and pulled back the blanket, he'd thought the teen was just hiding but Eren was asleep, a relaxed look across his beautiful features melted Levi's heart and he wished he didn't have to wake Eren  
"Eren?"  
He stroked the kids hair and Eren grumbled  
"Come on princess, I need you to make up for me"  
"Did you just call me a girl?"  
Levi wasn't sure if Eren was joking or not, the teens voice was thick with sleep   
"Maybe, but I need to talk to you"  
Eren finally opened his eyes and Levi gave him the best smile he could  
"Do you know what today is?"  
Eren shook his head  
"It's 6 weeks since we bonded..."  
Eren's eyes widened  
"6... weeks...?"  
"Mhmm, you have an ultrasound appointment scheduled this afternoon"  
Eren scrunched up his face  
"Did you tell me?"  
"No..."  
"At least that means I didn't forget it... do I have time to shower?"  
"Yep, and then I'll make you some lunch"  
"Levi... has it really been 6 weeks?"  
Eren seemed confused, his eyes flicked back and forth like he was trying to work out where the time had gone   
"Yeah, but you've been asleep for the most of it, or hiding in here"  
"I can't remember... did I... have I done anything?"  
Levi knew what he was asking and he knew admitting that Eren had had episodes over Reiner wouldn't help the omega at all  
"Not the way you're thinking. You've been kind of avoiding me, but I didn't want to force affection onto you when you seemed to need space"  
Eren nodded  
"That's what makes you a good person"  
Levi snorted lightly and gave him a slight smile  
"No, it makes me an alpha who's crazy for his omega"  
Eren began to crawl out from beneath the sheets and Levi expected him to keep moving, instead the omega pulled him close and nuzzled against him. Levi wondered if he was dreaming or if the last 4 weeks had finally broken his brain. Eren nuzzled him lightly  
"I'm sorry..."  
"It's alright, but I'm not sure if I'm dreaming all this"  
Eren shook his head  
"That's my line. I can't believe it's been 4 weeks... I'm sorry..."  
Levi rubbed at Eren's back, his mates scent filled his senses and he pulled Eren onto his lap properly, the teen looked away immediately so Levi pressed a kiss to Eren's cheek  
"How can you be so affectionate... aren't you mad?"  
"Eren, if I was mad I wouldn't be holding you in my lap like this, and I wouldn't be dying to kiss you either"  
Eren nodded and turned back to look Levi in the face, the alpha dove in a kiss, he tried to pour everything he felt for Eren into that kiss, and Eren responded, deepening the kiss and moaning into Levi's mouth. When they finally parted both were panting for air and Eren's pupils were so wide that only a tiny green ring was left  
"Eren?"  
Eren took a few deep breaths  
"I... I need to shower..."  
He went to rise from Levi's lap, seemingly forgetting about the alpha arms around him, he fell back with a moan and wriggled in Levi's lap trying to free himself, but at the same time Levi couldn't completely say that was the case. He was hard and Eren was wriggling and grinding against him. Finally Eren stopped and looked up at Levi   
"Can we have sex?"  
Levi fought hard to bite down the snort that rose. He also fought hard not to strip Eren right then and there, he moved his hands under Eren's area and lifted him easily, the omega nuzzled and licked at his neck, and Levi growled softly when Eren bit down. 

He entered his bedroom and laid Eren down, the teens long legs hung off the side of the bed and he whined as Levi pulled back  
"It's alright, we just need to get these clothes out the way"  
Eren nodded quickly, he struggled up slightly, but Levi took began tugging down the waist band of his pyjamas, he groaned as a wave of musk filled his nostrils, he buried his face against Eren's pubes and pulled the pants down further. He forced himself back, before running his tongue down Eren's erection   
"Levi..."  
He had no idea of what he was doing was right, but began working the tip of the teens penis while stripping his own pants off, in the end he abandoned the mission with his pants around his knees and sank down, lifting Eren's legs onto his shoulders, the smell of slick mixed with Eren's musk and he shook with want. He pulled back with a very wet pop and Eren whined so loudly he felt guilty. He tugged his shirt off and then stepped out of his pants before moving back between Eren's legs and leaning up to kiss his omega  
"Levi... please..."  
Levi nodded and kissed Eren again  
"Slide back for me?"  
Eren slid back across the bed, giving Levi space to join him. The sight of Eren so open and leaking had his alpha drooling. He wasted no time positioning Eren and himself before sliding in to Eren's wet heat. His omega gasped and Eren's hands reached for his, he loosened his hold on the teens hips and took both hands, Eren wrapped his legs around the tops of Levi's for support. The position was awkward without the use of his hands, but Eren had such a tight hold that he couldn't let go, his mate moaned and shivered beneath him, and he tried his best to build a rhythm they'd both enjoy. Eren came first, Levi watched as the teen semen splattered across his chest and abdomen, unable to resist he leant in and licked at it, that combine with how tightly Eren's as squeezing him forced his knot to begin to form and he pulled out, cuming hard over the teens stomach, he growled at the sight, and Eren shook below him, tears had come to the teens eyes and Eren let his hands go  
"What's wrong?"  
"Why... didn't you knot me..."  
Levi realised Eren didn't understand  
"Eren, have you had an ultrasound before?"  
The teen nodded  
"Just the external ones?"  
He nodded again  
Levi smiled gently  
"Sometimes when they take ultrasounds, they can't always get a clear picture from the outside"  
Eren's eyes widen and the threw himself up at Levi, not caring that he was smearing their semen across them both  
"I thought you wouldn't knot me because I'm already pregnant"  
Levi laughed and nuzzled Eren's neck  
"No, trust me, I only remembered at the last second and I thought you'd be embarrassed about it all if they had to do it internally and you were..."  
Eren nodded quickly, almost if saying "la la la"  
"I'm sorry"  
"It's fine, now, we both need a shower... would you do me the honour of joining me in the shower?"  
Eren nodded and the pair moved apart enough for them to stand, Eren tugged on Levi's hands they moved into the bathroom, he seemed genuinely happy and Levi wished this mood would last.

*  
Eren was quiet on the drive to the clinic, and left Levi to fill the intake form in at the clinic. The omega sat quietly, his right foot bounced and he kept his arms tightly around his stomach, while Levi kept an arm around his shoulder and held him against his chest  
"Eren Yeager?"  
Eren jumped and Levi let go, he stood and reached for Eren's hand, Eren didn't take it, instead he stood under his own power. They followed the woman down the hall and into a a white examination room. Various informational posters covered the wall and Levi swallowed hard... he was scared as fuck. Eren was hiding behind as they moved over to the two chairs in the room. Levi sat and pulled Eren down onto his lap, not caring about the teen struggling to move again him. The woman laughed lightly   
"I'm Rico Brzenska"  
Levi passed the clipboard over and the woman scanned it quickly. Levi had mentioned Eren's episodes on the form and hoped the woman wouldn't say anything out loud. She let out a long breath through her nose before looking up  
"Alright, let's start with taking your weight and vitals and then well do the ultrasound. Is that alright with you?"  
Eren nodded slowly and Levi let him stand. Rico ushered him gently over to the scales and he stepped up onto them. They waited a moment before she smiled and Eren stepped off, Eren look worried as he hugged himself and Levi didn't like them fact Rico's smiled faded once Eren back was turned. Sitting down, Eren took the chair next to Levi this time and wouldn't look up at the alpha. Eren had gained weight since moving in, but obviously not enough... well the impression he was left with. Rico took Eren's vitals and then jotted it all down on the clipboard forms  
"Alright, lets go take a look at your baby?"  
Rico smile and Levi followed the woman over to the bed, letting Eren move in his own time. Rico busied herself pulling on disposable gloves as Eren made his way over and laid on the bed, Levi took his hand and squeezed, the corners of Eren's eyes were filled with unshed tears, leaning in, Levi nuzzled Eren's neck, pressing a small kiss there before whispering in the teens ear  
"No matter what happens, I'm here and I love you. I'm so proud of you"  
"Did you drink your 2 litres of water this morning?"  
Eren looked at Levi   
"Mostly"  
Rico nodded  
"It's a lot isn't it. Let's see if we can get an image, if not we'll use the wand and do an internal ultrasound"  
Eren blushed and Rico slid his shirt up  
"Now the gels going to be a bit cold"  
She squeezed the blue gel onto the omegas stomach and Eren winced, Levi squeezed his hand, the teen still had his eyes only on him so Levi offered a small smile. His heart was pounding and focusing on Eren meant he didn't have to watch what Rico was doing. Eren whimpered when the rod touched his belly  
"It's alright, it probably feels really weird, but it won't hurt"  
Tears finally spilled from Eren's eyes and Levi used his free hand to wipe them away. The silence was deafening  
"Yep, there we are. Eren do you want to take a look?"  
Both mates looked towards the screen. She pointed at a small grey dot in a see of black   
"Do you want to hear the heartbeat?"  
Levi nodded before Eren had a chance to reply and soon a rhythmic heartbeat filled the room and Eren dissolved into sobs, Levi pulled him close, and buried his face in Eren's hair  
"I know it can be quiet emotional, you're not the first to cry, I promise. I just need to take some measurements and I assume you like some print outs"  
"Yes please"  
Levi held Eren as Rico did her thing, the teen sobbed hard against him and Levi hoped this wouldn't lead to an episode, he wanted his mate to have a good day.

"Eren, I'm going to wipe this gel off now, or do you want Levi to do it while I collect your prints"  
Eren didn't reply and thanks to his grip Levi couldn't move  
"Sorry, could you do it please"  
Levi assumed Rico was cleaning down Eren's stomach when the omega whined softly, but it was over in seconds and Rico excused herself to collect the prints. Only once she was gone would Eren look him in the face. The alpha took the corner of his shirt and dabbed the tears away  
"Feeling better?"  
Eren shook his head  
"Well, you can tell me about it on the way home, but I'm really happy if it counts?"  
"You are?"  
"Aren't you?"  
"I'm scared"  
Levi's smile lessened, he understood why and it hurt  
"You don't need to be. I promise"  
Levi's phone started to vibrate in his back pocket, Eren looked at him curiously   
"Don't you need to get that?"  
"I'll call them back once we've left the clinic. I don't want to think about anything other than you and this little one"  
Eren nodded and Levi helped him sit up. Rico came in and sat, she patted the chairs and Levi frowned   
"It's nothing bad... it's just, Eren's underweight, I just want to make sure he's eating the right things. It's takes a lot to make a baby"  
Eren sat and looked at his feet  
"Eren, how many times a day do you eat?"  
"I... lunch and dinner... and sometimes a little more"  
Rico smiled encouragingly  
"That's good and do you eat fruit and veggies?"  
Eren nodded and Rico smiled  
"How... how much does he weigh?"  
"Just under 53kgs, if possible I'd like him to get to at least 63kgs"  
Levi nodded and Eren looked terrified  
"I can print out a meal plan if that helps? And I'd like for him to start taking vitamin pills, just the ones you get over the counter for omegas are fine and work with him to start eating breakfast"  
Levi nodded again, he hated to think what his mates original weight was. Rico handed over the envelope  
"Congratulations to the both of you. Don't forget to make an appointment for a months time"  
Levi stood and beamed at her, he wanted to hug the tiny woman... not that she was that much shorter than him. He chose to blame that on her high heels. He took Eren's hand and tugged him up, both of them thanked her and Levi led his omega out. Eren was silent as they made another appointment, he remained silent until the got outside the office and then looked to Levi  
"You should check your phone"  
Levi nodded, he slipped his phone out and frowned. 6 missed calls from Erwin and one voicemail, which would have been the buzz he'd felt  
"I need to make a quick call to Erwin. Are you alright to wait a minute?"  
With Eren's approval Levi called his friend. The call connected immediately   
"Levi! Where the hell are you?!"  
"With Eren. What's going on?"  
"Kenny found out we were investigating the Brauns. He's furious, he said he already checked your house and has been stalking the whole building looking for you"  
"He didn't even try to call me"  
"You need to come in, he's already torn your office apart"  
"I can't, I have Eren with me"  
"Bring him with you. It's only going to get worse the longer he has to wait"  
"Fine. But meet us down the front, I don't want Eren coming into contact with Kenny"  
"How far away are you?"  
"20 minutes"  
Erwin ended the call and Levi let out a long sigh, Eren was shaking next to him  
"I have to go into work. Kenny's going crazy"  
Eren didn't reply and Levi guided him over to the car, they climbed into the back of the limo and Levi pulled Eren into his lap. He pressed the intercom and asked the driver to take them to the head office. Levi kept his arms around Eren, trying to calm him down. The omega was still shaking when the limo pulled up and Levi didn't want to leave him  
"Eren... do you want to sit here? Or do you want to wait with Erwin?"  
"Here... please don't make me see him"  
Levi nodded, he gave Eren a small gentle kiss before lifting him off his lap. He pressed the envelope into Eren's hands  
"I'll be back as soon as I can"  
He forced himself out the back of the limo. He really needed to get Eren a phone, he'd thought about it before, but now it was a necessity. He was sure his omega would feel safer with one.

*  
Erwin looked almost constipated as he filled Levi in on the situation. Kenny was insulted or some shit about the Braun's being investigated for no good reason, Levi just nodded. When the elevator doors opened Levi gagged on the stink of Kenny's angry scent. He pinched his as he strode into his office, slamming the door behind him  
"Levi!"  
Kenny roared his name and Levi wondered how drunk his uncle was  
"What the fuck are you doing you ungrateful little shit"  
Levi released his nose and squared his shoulders  
"Do you know what they did?!"  
"The fuck is that supposed to mean?"  
"Did you know Reiner abused Eren? That's what that means! Eren is my mate! He wears my bond! And you're yelling at me over that piece of scum"  
Kenny's eyes narrowed  
"What evidence do you have?"  
"Other than Eren's testimony..."  
"That means shit. All hear say"  
"The matter was covered up and despite the incident being reported to the police Reiner wasn't persecuted. We've been hunting down the money trail, trying to trace who paid who off"  
"Well stop. If this get out..."  
Levi snarled, baring his teeth, a glass flew past his head and shattered on the floor  
"Do you have any idea how much they invest into this company each year?!"  
"Is money all that matters to you?! Eren is pregnant! He is pregnant and he is still terrified of Reiner. I am going to see this through!"  
Kenny's face twisted and a laugh from his spit covered lips  
"Look at you, you think you have it all don't you. You'd have nothing if you didn't have me. Don't forget that"  
Levi glared, he itched to beat the man in front of him within an inch of his life. He knew he was crazy, but Kenny was in another league  
"You will drop this. Or you will find yourself on your arse with nothing"  
Kenny walked from the room like he had no cares, he did however pause at the door  
"We'll be throwing a function to celebrate. We need to get this out before the press does"  
With that Kenny was gone and Levi shook with anger. He roared in frustration. How could someone be so heartless? He spun round and stormed out. Erwin was standing in the hall   
"What do we do?"  
Levi shoved him hard against the wall   
"We keep going. I will not let Reiner get away with this"  
Erwin pushed Levi back  
"Go home Levi. Take some time and think. Once you've done that, we'll talk"  
Levi struggled not to punch Erwin. He could hear the pounding of his heart and his eyes narrowed. He forced himself away and moved to the elevator before he made things worse.

*  
Sitting in the back of the limo, Levi watched Eren, the teen was sitting across from him rocking back and forth. It was the last thing he needed right now and he hated that he was a tiny bit mad that Eren was having an episode at this very moment. He buried his face in his hands and stayed that way for the whole drive home.

Eren didn't even seem to realise that Levi was guiding him inside, nor when he was guided up to the alphas bedroom. Levi gently took the ultrasound envelope from Eren's hands, it was partially bent and he felt guilty. This wasn't how things should be. He pressed a kiss of apology on Eren's lips and stripped Eren's shirt off before laying him down and then stripping his own shirt off and climbing up into bed behind him. He held Eren close, whispering apologies for getting so mad and for being such a bad alpha. Eren didn't give any hint of hearing any of it and Levi couldn't stop the tears that started. He clung to his mate as it turned into body shaking sobs  
"Levi?"  
Levi jumped and sniffled  
"Sorry"  
Eren rolled over in his arms  
"What's wrong?"  
Levi shook his head and Eren looked disappointed   
"It's nothing, just needed to vent"  
"When did we get home?"  
"A little while ago"  
"Is that why you're crying? Because of me?"  
Levi shook his head  
"Not because of that... just I don't know... everything and nothing... god... I must look so pathetic to you right now?"  
Eren shook his head quickly  
"I'm the pathetic one. You're upset and I can't make you feel better"  
"You're not pathetic"  
"But you're crying... and I'm the only one here..."  
Levi let out a sigh   
"If I tell you, will you stay calm?"  
"I can try..."  
"I hate watching you suffer and blame yourself. I love you so much and I feel stupid because I can't help. Erwin and I were trying to build a case against Reiner and Kenny found out. He went mental about it all, basically told me I'd end up on the streets again if I kept looking into it. But I can't stop. I've been trying to make a case without your testimony, I didn't want to make you think about it, or make you talk about it. And Kenny just laughed it all away... and then... he ends it all by saying he wants to have a party because you're pregnant and he doesn't want the press leaking it first. I fucking hate him"  
Levi watched Eren's face, he felt like he'd just gut punched the kid  
"You should stop. If it's making you this upset..."  
"I'm upset because it's not fair! Why does he get to walk around not giving two fucks about what he did when you..."  
"When I can barely function because I'm so fucked up?"  
Eren calmly pushed himself away from Levi's and got up from the bed. He walked to the door as Levi scrambled after him  
"I didn't say that"  
"But you thought it. I'm sorry Levi. I'm sorry I'm messed up. I'm sorry I messed everything up for you and I'm sorry I'm pregnant. I'll stay in my room... you won't have to worry... you know what they say. Out of sight, out of mind"  
Levi let out a shaky sob   
"That's not what I want at all. God! I want you to understand. I just want justice for you"  
"Even if you get justice, nothing changes. I'm sorry"  
Eren pinned in the code and opened the door. He closed it hard behind him and Levi sank to his knees. Today had been so perfect... they'd seen their child... and now...


	10. Chapter 10

Levi pulled himself up off the floor. He grabbed the ultrasound photos and sat down on his bed. He pulled the black and white prints out, his fingers tracing the spot that was their child. He'd never seen himself as a father, and now he desperately wanted this child... he felt like a selfish fool, he'd told himself he was doing all this for Eren, but now he couldn't be sure. He carefully replaced the photos into their envelope and placed it in the top draw. He didn't want things to be like this... 

Walking down stairs he headed straight to Eren's room. Eren was crying, his face buried against his pillow and Levi winced. The alpha took a deep breath and crossed to Eren's bed, hesitantly climbing up next to his omega  
"Eren. I'm sorry... I never wanted to make you cry"  
"I know... it's my fault... all of it's my fault..."  
"I promise you it isn't. But at the same time, I can't not do anything"  
"I just want to forget... but I'll never forget... every time I look in the mirror or have a shower... he's there..."  
Levi nodded slowly  
"I know... but to me you're perfect, I love you, I love all of you... and both of you. I never thought I'd have a mate, I had no idea what would happen when I took you in and I don't regret it. Things aren't always perfect but it's more than enough for me"  
Eren sniffled and blinked at him  
"Thank you..."  
"Am I forgiven?"  
"Maybe..."  
Levi smiled  
"I've been thinking... I want to buy you a phone. Would you use it if I did?"  
"Who would I call?"  
"Me. I thought you might feel better about being able to call me when I'm at work"  
"You don't have to waste money on me"  
"It's not a waste... I was also thinking we could go out? Anywhere you want. You've been in this house practically non-stop since I brought you home"  
"Where would we go?"  
"Well, we have a few hours still before the sun goes down, we could go shopping... or we could just go for a drive?"  
Eren nodded  
"How far away is Shinganshima?"  
Levi drew his eyebrows together in thought  
"About 3 hours"  
Eren's face fell  
"Why?"  
"I miss my mum"  
"What about your dad?"  
Eren shook his head quickly  
"He hates me... but mum... she was always good to me... she didn't care if I was an omega... or when I used to get into fights... she'd scold me, but... I just really miss her"  
"We can go. We can go now if you want?"  
"But it's 3 hours..."  
"So? I wouldn't mind meeting you mum"  
"You do know she's dead..."  
"I know... come on, go wash your face and we'll leave... we can get takeaway on the way and you can drive if you want to"  
Eren shook his head quickly  
"I don't want to drive"  
"Ok, give me a kiss and then go get ready. I'll feed Titan and change into something a little less formal"

Half an hour later the pair were in Levi's SUV, the alpha had fed Titan then stuffed blankets and pillows into the back of the car in case Eren got sleepy. Eren eyed the pile but didn't comment and Levi left it. Instead he focussed on finding a station that wasn't going to grate on his nerves while he drove. Eren started to nod off almost immediately and Levi pulled over  
"Eren?"  
His omega jumped and looked at him  
"Do you want to climb in the back?"  
"Why?"  
"Because you're falling asleep, and it might be more comfy"  
"But then you'll be awake alone"  
"It's alright, I don't mind"  
"But I do"  
"Are you sure?"  
"I'll be alright"  
Levi pulled back onto the road, not surprised when Eren started snoring softly 20 minutes later. He hummed as he drove, even stopping for takeaway Chinese without him waking. 

Eren slept most of the way there, waking up with his stomach growling about an hour outside of Shinganshima  
"You let me sleep!"  
The omega sounded annoyed and Levi laughed  
"That's because you looked so peaceful. I saved you food"  
Levi eyed Eren from the corner of his eye as he grabbed a white box from the bag  
"Chinese?"  
"Good Chinese"  
Eren rustled through the bag and pulled out a plastic spork, it didn't take long before he was devouring the fried rice. Levi turned his full attention back to driving, he'd pulled over earlier when he'd eaten and looked up Shinganshima cemeteries, there was only one and he hoped Eren knew the directions to Carla's grave. Eren finished his dinner and placed the box back in the bag before drawing his legs up and crossing them  
"Levi?"  
"Eren?"  
"Thank you"  
"Don't thank me yet, we aren't there"  
Eren shook his head and fell quiet again. The rest of the drive to Shinganshima was silent, Levi turned on the GPS letting the woman's voice guide him towards the cemetery  
"Can we get flowers?"  
"Sure, I don't know if there's anywhere open this late that would have them..."  
"The supermarket used too... mum liked them, she said it didn't matter how much they cost 'cause they all looked pretty"  
"You know, your mum sounds like a pretty smart woman"  
"She was..."  
Levi stopped at the first supermarket that came into view. Eren unexpectedly climbed out and walked into the store without waiting, he supposed that being back where he grew up gave the teen a boost of confidence. The flowers were by the front door, Eren was already examining the different bouquets, he chose one full of bright Gerbera's and looked to Levi   
"Is this one alright?"  
"Would your mother like it?"  
Eren nodded  
"Then it's perfect... maybe I should get one for her too"  
"Why would you do that?"  
"Because she's my mother in law..."  
"But we aren't married"  
"Nope, just bonded for life"  
Eren blushed beautifully, Levi really wanted to take a photo of his omega holding the bouquet, he looked so innocent  
"Eren, can I take a photo of you?"  
"Why... I'm nothing special..."  
"Is that a no?"  
Eren didn't reply, he looked down at the flowers and Levi pulled his phone out  
"You're serious?"  
"I'm serious about you"  
Eren's blush deepen and Levi snapped a couple of photos, he made his favourite of them his lock screen and slipped his phone back in his pocket. The alpha selected a smaller bouquet of bellflowers, Eren smiled at his choice and the two walked further into the store, the alpha grabbed a basket  
"Do you want snacks for the drive back?"  
"Can we get chocolate?"  
"I swear you love chocolate more than me"  
Eren's smile dropped  
"I'm joking, yes of course we can"  
Eren was still quiet as he selected the chocolate he wanted and Levi threw in a couple of tubes of Pringles, when Eren looked at him he merely shrugged  
"I can fit my hand in the tube"  
Eren just shook his head and Levi wondered if he knew that he meant  
"We need drinks too, what do you want?"  
"Juice"  
Eren mumbled his reply and Levi pressed a quick kiss to the teens temple  
"We're in public!"  
"I know, now where are the drinks?"  
"Towards the cash registers..."  
Levi led the way back to the front of the store, given there was only orange juice he grabbed a bottle for his mate and a couple of bottles of water. He placed them in the basket and looked to Eren   
"Ready to go?"  
Eren nodded and followed him over to the only open register, a short blonde teen served them, his name tag read Armin, but Levi wasn't really paying attention. The teen rang up the purchase and Levi paid. Eren all but ran out to the car and Levi watched his mates movements carefully. He unlocked the car and Eren dived in, the alpha took his time to place the shopping in the back carefully and climbed in behind the driver's wheel. Eren was shaking badly  
"What's wrong?"  
Eren shook his head and Levi started the car, the GPS started again and they drove towards the cemetery.

The cemetery was small and quaint, neatly trimmed roses lined the entry. Levi parked in the empty car park and grabbed the flowers and a bottle of water from the back  
"Do you know the way?"  
Eren nodded quickly and opened his door, Levi could smell his distress, whatever had happened at the supermarket had shattered the teens nerves. He slipped from the car and made sure it was locked before rounding the vehicle and taking Eren's hand  
"Ok, lead the way"

Carla's grave was towards the back corner, her headstone stated her name and date of birth and then date of death, there was nothing else on it and Levi cursed Grisha, it had such a cold feel to it. Eren took his flowers from Levi, placing them in the built in vase, he sat down and started to cry while Levi took his own flowers out and added them to the Gerbera's, before pouring half the bottle of water in. He sat down behind Eren and pulled him up against his chest. Today had been so long and weird, he'd never imagined he was going to end the day sitting in a cemetery. He sent out a silent prayer for Carla, gradually Eren leant back into his hold  
"You feeling better?"  
"Yeah..."  
"Did you tell her what you wanted?"  
"I don't know what to tell her"  
Levi cleared his throat  
"Carla, you may or may not know me... I don't know how this all works... but I'm Eren's alpha. Eren's been through a lot, but I love him... and I'm grateful to you... I never wanted an omega or to let someone get close to me, but Eren, he changed all that. I used to be feared at work, but being with him has changed me for the better... he's also pregnant with our first baby. I know we haven't been together that long, but I'm going to do all I can to protect him. So thank you for giving him to me"  
Levi felt a little foolish, but it was for Eren as much as Carla  
"You were feared?"  
"Yep"  
"You can be scary... but I don't know about fearsome"  
"That's because you bring out the best of me"  
Levi nuzzled Eren's neck, they sat there in silence until Levi started growing cold and he knew Eren had to be as well  
"Are you ready?"  
Eren nodded and untangled from Levi's hold, the clung to the alpha as they walked back to the car. Levi opened Eren's door for him and Eren gave him a small shy kiss. Levi beamed with pride and jogged around to the driver's side.

They drove back to Trost in a comfortable silence. They had to mak a quick stop so Eren could pee and then the omega bedded down in the back. Not waking when they arrived home or when Levi lifted him from the car and carried him up to bed.

*  
Kenny's party was scheduled for the next week. Levi found out about it by opening the invitation he'd been sent. He rolled his eyes and slid the invite back into the envelope before burying it under a stack of paperwork. It was going to be held in the same function room as before and Kenny surely expected some kind of speech. It weighed on his mind all day. It'd only been a week since they'd come back from Shinganshima and Levi felt it was all too soon. 

Arriving home Eren didn't answer when he called out and Levi tried not to panic, he headed straight up to his room, the sound of wretching reached his ears. The last week had seen Eren's morning sickness kick into over drive and Levi stripped his tie, jacket and shoes off before heading into the bathroom, he knelt down next to Eren and rubbed his back  
"How long have you been here?"  
"I don't know..."  
Eren vomited again, his body shook from the effort, it was longer than Levi liked before Eren finally nodded he was finished and Levi flushed away then mess  
"Do you want to go back to sleep?"  
"I slept most of today... I need a shower"  
"Alright, you brush your teeth and I'll run the shower"  
Eren let Levi help him up and moved to the counter. Levi turned the shower on, adjusting the temperature   
"Do you want help?"  
"Please..."  
Levi bit down his secret thrill, he rushed to help Eren strip and then himself, guiding Eren carefully under the running water. The omega rested his head against Levi's shoulder, clearly spent and Levi tried his hardest to push down the rising arousal, Eren was being so weak and helpless and his alpha wanted nothing more than to take the teen against the shower wall until Eren collapsed. He shivered and forced his hand to reach for the bodywash, squeezing it straight onto Eren's shoulders, he started to rub Eren down lightly, the omega moaning as he did so and he could smell Eren growing aroused. He rushed to wash down Eren's front, intentionally ignoring his erection  
"Let me wash your back?"  
He wasn't sure Eren was going to comply, but the teen turned and leant against the wall with his legs slightly spread, the position gave Levi him full view of Eren's back. Levi took his time, he kissed each of Eren's scars and his mate shivered in response. Levi's hands slid lower, he cupped and massaged Eren's arse, before kneeling down behind the omega and flicking his tongue out, he lapped at Eren's opening as the slick began to dribble out. Given Eren hadn't told him to stop, he took his time, tasting Eren thoroughly and making a completely mess of the teen until Eren's knees gave out and he was forced to catch him  
"Bed?"  
Eren nodded and Levi held him close as he turned the taps off. He carried his mate through to their and dropped him down lightly before climbing over him with a growl   
"Levi..."  
"Are you alright?"  
Eren nodded, he reached up and pulled Levi down, plunging his tongue into Levi's mouth and grinding his hips up against the alpha, Levi broke the kiss with a groan  
"Fuck... you're so beautiful..."  
Eren blushed but didn't comment, instead he spread his legs further and Levi rutted up against him, he was determined to give Eren the best orgasm of his life  
"Not... like this..."  
Levi stopped, he'd been in the middle of mouthing Eren's neck with open mouth kisses, he pulled back   
"From... behind..."  
Levi frowned  
"Are you sure?"  
"I don't want to be scared..."  
"If you want to stop, I will... just tell me..."  
Eren nodded and Levi slid back so Eren could roll over, his lover crawled onto all fours and presented himself, Levi groaned, he couldn't resist leaning in and lapping at the slick again  
"Stop teasing... we don't have enough sex to begin with"  
Levi made a mental note to bring that back up later. He moved up and lined himself up before gently pushing into his mate. Eren moaned, and Levi took his hips, he waited until his omega started to rock against him before pulling out until the tip of his erection was buried inside and slammed back in, Eren's head fell forward as he moaned. Growling Levi gripped Eren's hips and began to slam into Eren without mercy, all his omega could do was moan and shake, pants filled the room and Levi pulled Eren up against him, his hand slid from Eren's hip and began to jerk his mate off in time with his thrusts. Eren came nearly screaming his name and Levi's knot flared instantly, both shuddering through their orgasms together. Eren went completely limp and Levi released the teens spent erection, his hand came up to Eren's chest and he help him against him, murmuring words of love in Eren's ear, he pulled Eren down into his lap as sat back on his heels, the omega whined at his knot tugged and Levi hurried to apologise. He kept nuzzling and kissing Eren's neck and shoulders until his knot finally went down and he was able to manoeuvre Eren down and onto his side, he flopped himself down less gracefully and pulled Eren onto his chest  
"So we don't have enough sex?"  
Eren smiled slightly, though he bit his lip as he did  
"You have no idea how hard it is to contain myself around you..."  
"I wish you didn't... well... some of the time..."  
Levi smirked   
"You know, you could always seduce me"  
"I thought I was seductive enough as it was"  
Levi gaped   
"You are! But I don't want you to feel pressured"  
Eren nodded  
"Can we have round two?"  
"You don't need to ask"  
"But I don't want you to be mad"  
"Trust me, I'm not going to be mad if you want me"  
Eren moved to straddle Levi's lap and Levi ran his hands up to Eren's chest before down to rest on Eren's tiny stomach  
"Mmmm... I love the fact our child's in there"  
"I... it's scary... but I'm not as scared as before"  
"That's good... you've come a long way, you know that right?"  
Eren shook his head, instead he ground down against Levi   
"Sex first, talking after"  
Levi's eyes rolled back as Eren positioned himself and slid down onto his erection, the squelching sound was pornographic. He could only watch as Eren enjoyed himself, the teens body moved so perfectly as he worked them both to a second climax. Once knotted Eren leant forward, resting his head against Levi's lower chest   
"I don't know what it is... but sex with you... it feels really good"  
"I'll take that as a compliment"  
"Sex... with him... made me feel sick... I hated the idea of it..."  
Levi raised his arms and wrapped them around Eren   
"You don't need to worry, I'm here"  
"I know..."  
"You know, you're pretty talkative tonight"  
"Am I being annoying?"  
"No, I love listening to you talk, and not just because you're stuck on my knot... I really want to know more about you"  
"Only if you tell me more about you..."  
"I don't know what to tell you"  
"Whatever you want"  
"Levi Ackerman, age 30 and a bit... current managing CEO of Ackerman Enterprises, even though Kenny holds all the power. When I was kid, he shot me... played it off as a hunting accident... I don't like long walks on the beach, and I would love to take you out to dinner... hell, I'd show you off all the time if you'd let me"  
"I didn't know he shot you..."  
"Yep, you can't see the scar anymore, He had it removed... Ah fuck..."  
"What?"  
"We are invited to our own babyshower... thing... it's next week"  
"But I'm not in my second trimester..."  
"I know... I was worried about telling you. It's also in the same function room as last time"  
Eren tensed  
"I'm sorry..."  
"It's not your fault... but... I don't want to go..."  
"I know, I don't either"  
"Can we not?"  
Levi snorted  
"That's not how it works... fuck I wish it did"  
Eren nodded against him, his body still tense in Levi's arms  
"It'll be alright... we'll be alright"  
Eren slid up as knot deflated and laid himself over Levi's form, he nuzzled against Levi's neck and pressed a small kiss against his chin, Levi turned his face so Eren could kiss him properly. He smiled as his action was rewarded  
"I love your kisses"  
Eren mumbled a reply, but Levi couldn't hear what was said, so he ran his fingers back and forth over Eren's scarred back  
"Levi... how can you touch me back so easily?"  
"I don't really think about it, I can stop if you want"  
"No... it's weird... I don't know"  
They laid there in silence a little longer, Levi grew sleepy under Eren's warmth, but they both needed to clean up  
"Eren... do you want a shower or a wet towel?"  
"I don't want to move"  
"Ok, let me get a towel and I'll clean us both up"  
Eren nodded and slid off Levi, letting the alpha move to fetch the towel. He returned and wiped Eren down carefully before himself. Eren crawled under the covers with a big yawn and Levi threw the towel towards the bathroom before climbing in behind him, he curled around Eren and snuggled up. He was just about asleep when Eren spoke  
"Levi... I love you"  
Levi's heart leapt  
"I love you too..."  
He pressed kissed to Eren's shoulders before settling back down, he loved these small moments when Eren would allow him to be affectionate, but he truly cherished the moments when Eren was affectionate back.

He'd thought they'd sleep through the night, but Eren woke up screaming, and Levi woke up wet. He winced as Eren practically convulsed in his arms, the teens body was straining and Levi could only hold him until Eren screamed again in his sleep and released Levi's trapped arm. He quickly shook Eren awake, his omega was confused and shaking  
"Who... who are you?"  
Levi bit his lip, he reached for the lamp and tapped it on, he moved back into Eren's view, but Eren was still confused  
"Eren, it's alright. You're safe..."  
Eren clearly didn't believe him, his bottom lip shook as he tried to pull himself away, obviously confused as to why his body wasn't moving the way he wanted. Levi pulled back and raised his hands  
"Eren, my names Levi... do you know who I am?"  
Eren blinked before nodding slowly and Levi let out a sigh of relief   
"You had a nightmare, but it's alright. The bathroom is just there..."  
He pointed to the open door  
"You can go clean up and I'll clean the bed up"  
Eren nodded, he tried to move again but didn't get anywhere  
"Do you want me to help you?"  
Eren looked uncertain, but nodded hesitantly. Levi kept his moves slow as he climbed from their bed and moved around to Eren's side  
"I'm going to lift you up"  
Eren flinched as he reached towards the teen, Levi tried not to take it personally, he lifted his mate and carried him into the bathroom  
"Can you stand? Or do you want to sit on the shower floor?"  
"Sit..."  
Levi nodded, he placed Eren down and passed him the body wash. He carefully turned the taps on and left it running lukewarm  
"Eren, I'll be in the bedroom if you need me..."  
Eren didn't respond and Levi left him to it. He returned and stripped the bed, it seemed most of the piss had been absorbed by the blankets and he said a small thank you prayer before stripping the whole mess off and carrying it downstairs. He rinsed his hands before returning and remaking the bed. Once done he returned to Eren  
"How you doing?"  
Eren sighed  
"Nightmare?"  
"Yep... got space for one more in there?"  
Eren nodded and slid back, he passed Levi the bodywash and the alpha quickly cleaned himself up. Once done he helped Eren up and dried them both off  
"Do you want clothes?"  
"Underwear..."  
Levi nodded and moved away, grabbing two pairs out. He passed one over to Eren before pulling the other pair on  
"I'm sorry"  
"It's fine... but do you want to talk about it?"  
He expected Eren to say no  
"Can we lay down again?"  
"Sure"  
Eren waited until Levi got into bed before laying down next to him, he was close but not close enough to touch  
"I... I was in the basement... it was when Reiner burnt my back... I don't even know what he used... but it hurt and the smell made me puke... I wanted to pass out... I wanted to die... but I couldn't... he made me stay on my back and it just kept burning... and then he finally kicked me over and left..."  
Eren bolted upright and from the bed, he barely made it into the bathroom before turning towards the bath and vomiting  
"Eren?"  
Eren held his hand up telling him to stay back, he stayed in their bed... it was probably for the best given the anger flowing through his veins. Eventually the bath taps turned on and he heard Eren brushing his teeth before coming back to bed. The omegas skin felt clammy, but Levi didn't care. He needed to feel his warm breathing omega in his arms.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! I actually started this straight after posting the previous chapter, but real life kept getting in the way...  
> Anyway...  
> Guess who's going fishing in 10 minutes! Do I seem like a fisherman?!? I'm scared! Sent love xx

Eren kept a firm grip on Levi's hand as Levi lead him through the to his office. His omega was yet to see it and Levi wanted to delay entering the function room. He opened the solid wood door and ushered Eren in  
"Sooo, this is my office"  
Eren nodded  
"I know... the glass says your name"  
Levi snorted at Eren's snippy reply  
"Can you tell I'm procrastinating?"  
"Yeah..."  
Eren still moved about the room, he lifted things slowly before placing them back on the shelves  
"I never asked... but what do you actually do?"  
"Everything Kenny won't. Basically I read a shit ton of reports and then yell at people for being stupid"  
Eren snorted  
"It's true... mostly true..."  
Eren nodded  
"Levi... I feel better now..."  
"Good... ready to go?"  
Eren nodded again and Levi took a moment to wrap his arms his omega  
"I love you... now let's go get this over with"  
"Yeah..."  
They left Levi's office, despite only being in the room for a few minutes.

Walking into the function room Levi's anger surged, the first person he saw was Reiner Braun, and he realised Eren was holding him back  
"Levi... please... you're scaring me..."  
Levi stopped immediately, he turned to Eren and nodded  
"Sorry... I'm sorry"  
Eren looked down at his feet, but their moment was interrupted by Kenny  
"Eren! How nice to see you here. How's the pregnancy going?"  
"Fine, thank you"  
"Good. I told Levi we'd spare no expense for your care, but he insisted on taking care of it all himself"  
The man paused to glare at Levi  
"We need to keep you both healthy for the good of the Ackerman name"  
Eren nodded and Levi grabbed his mates hand  
"We should be doing the rounds"  
"Good, I'll come with you"  
Unable to refuse Kenny's request, they found themselves following the man around the room, they covered about a third of the people there when Kenny finally forced them over to the Braun family. A tall blonde woman stood next to Reiner and Levi knew instantly that woman was the man's mother, to the the other side was a tall brunette that he hadn't seen before  
"Reiner, how nice to have you here, and your mother... beautiful as always"  
Kenny took the woman's hand and pressed a kiss to it, Levi nearly gagged at the action. The man released her hand and looked to the brunette  
"I don't believe we've met"  
"Bertholdt Hoover"  
The pair shook hands and Eren nearly crushed Levi's with his grip  
"Bertholdt's Reiners partner, they're to be married soon"  
Levi bit down hard on his lip, he wondered if the brunette knew Reiner true nature  
"That's fantastic"  
"Isn't it? They've been friends since they were kids. We were so excited when they decided to take the next step, he's so much nicer than some of the omegas Reiner has brought home in the past"  
Levi pulled Eren forward, the woman's mask fell for a second  
"Reiner, I don't believe we've met. Thank you for coming and celebrating Eren's pregnancy with us"  
Reiner's eyes narrowed  
"Yes. I heard about that"  
Reiner's voice was ice cold  
"We were shocked it happened during his first heat, but now both him and our child are doing just fine"  
You could practically cut the air with a knife. Neither alpha backing down  
"Good for you"  
Reiner's gaze shifted to Eren and Levi moved between the pair  
"Yeah, unlike some alphas, I don't like to leave omegas for dead"  
"Unlike some alphas you seem quite happy to pick up worthless scraps"  
Levi snarled and Kenny went to grab at him  
"You don't get to torture him and then decide his worth!"  
He hadn't even realised he'd yelled at the man until the room went silent. Kenny glared at him so coldly that if his body hadn't been burning with anger he would have frozen  
"I'm sure I don't know what you mean"  
"He still has nightmares, did you know that! Of course you didn't! You paid for it all to go away because you're a fuckin..."  
Levi's sentence was cut off by a blow to the face from Reiner. It was all it took for him to release Eren and launch himself atop the man, he enjoyed the way Reiner's nose cracked beneath his fist, the alpha tried to fight back, but before Reiner could land another blow Bertholdt and Kenny had pulled him off. He snarled and struggled against them both, it wasn't until he heard a thud behind him that he returned to his senses, he turned to look over his shoulder, Eren was laying on the floor, he shook off his holds and rushed to his mate  
"See! Look how weak and pathetic he is! Couldn't handle a little fight"  
Reiner's voice was muffled by the broken nose  
"I wish I'd never met him! He should have just died!"  
Levi made to rush Reiner again, but Kenny grabbed his wrist almost crushing it  
"Take Eren and get the fuck out of here"  
The man's voice was ice cold  
"You can't be serious. He tortured Eren and now you're on his side!"  
"I can't believe how rude you are being to our guests!"  
Levi shook his head in disgust, he moved and lifted Eren up. He caught Erwin's eye across the room and his friend moved to open the door. The whole room had heard the truth about Reiner's actions, but he had a feeling this wouldn't be the end of it.

Levi carried Eren close while Erwin opened the necessary doors and such on the way down to the ground floor  
"Are you proud of yourself?"  
Levi stopped in his tracks  
"I don't regret it"  
"You don't regret screaming in front of a room full of strangers that your mate was tortured?"  
Levi paled as the realisation set in. Eren's secret was now going to spread like wildfire  
"Fuuuuuuuck"  
He groaned the word out  
"Yeah. And Kenny... all you had to do was stay quiet"  
"I couldn't. I wanted to rub it in his, I wanted him to feel guilty as fuck and him to know Eren was pregnant with my child"  
"And you were happy to destroy whatever trust he put in you to do it?"  
Levi hated that everything Erwin was saying was right. Finally the limo pulled up and he carried Eren over  
"Levi, I can't help or protect you with this"  
"I know... I've already asked too much. Thank you"  
He fumbled the door open and awkwardly manoeuvred them both inside. Once the door was closed he closely examined Eren. There were still wet tears on the teens cheeks. He buried his face against Eren's chest and let out a frustrated sob. He'd well and truly messed up.

*  
Eren wouldn't talk to him. He'd talked to Rico alright, but not to Levi and Levi didn't know what to do. It felt like he'd lost his mate, not even allowed to hold Eren's hand at the ultrasound. Even when Rico told them it was twins, Eren didn't look at him. She apologised and explained that it's not always picked up at the first ultrasound. Eren had thanked her quietly and Levi was left to silently watched. He hated this. It was like they'd gone back to being strangers. Aside from his shit personal life, Kenny had stood him down for an undecided amount of time. He only had access to his own personal bank accounts and Levi's name was dragged through the papers like he went crazy for now reason. Kenny was now putting all the distance he could between Levi and Ackerman Enterprises. His whole life was crumbling and no amount of working out was helping. He hadn't even heard from Erwin, he couldn't blame his friend, Erwin had his own life and job to think of. 

Pulling into the driveway, Levi slowed and sighed. Kenny's black Mercedes was parked out the front of his house and his heart sank. Instead of continuing into the garage, he pulled up a few metres to the left of Kenny, parking like he didn't give a damn... or at least he hoped that's what it would look like. He pulled his phone from his pocket and looked to Eren, the omega had his eyes closed and Levi shook him gently, he was greeted by big green eyes full of resentment  
"I know you hate me, but this is important. Kenny's here and we both know how the other night went. I need you stay here and out of sight until he leaves, I'm not having you hurt by him. No matter what, don't come out until I come get you"  
Levi pushed the phone into Eren's hand and unbuckled his seatbelt, Eren didn't reply but he also didn't move either  
"I love you"  
With that Levi climbed out the car and locked the doors, he squared his shoulders and marched up to the front door which sat ajar. He could smell Kenny's stink and that only fuelled the anger eating him inside  
"Kenny!"  
He tried to keep his tone civil as he moved into the living room, his uncle was seat on the sofa and Levi gagged at the stench of alcohol  
"You ungrateful little fuck!"  
Kenny stood, swaying heavily as he did  
"The company is being sued!"  
Kenny staggered towards him, he went to swing at Levi's face but Levi took a step back  
"Oh, think your a tough guy now!"  
Kenny stumbled and roared his name, Levi couldn't help but wince causing Kenny to laugh  
"You're just like your whore mother, shacking up with a slut and then shaming the family name!"  
Levi snapped, he launched himself at his uncle, shoving Kenny hard but his uncle was straight back at him, with a longer reach he easily took Levi by the throat, this didn't mean that Levi gave up, he wasn't that little kid anymore. He fought with all he had, even as Kenny slammed him down on the floor  
"Do you know how much the Braun's have invested in us! Do you! And you couldn't hold your feelings down over some bitch omega for a fucking night!"  
Levi clawed at Kenny's wrists, his grip weakening as Kenny lifted him and slammed him back down again, his head smacked against the floor with a loud crack, and Kenny finally pulled back, he booted Levi hard in the ribs for good measure  
"You'll regret this boy"  
Kenny spat down at him for good measure  
"You.. will... not talk... to about Eren... like that"  
Levi dragged himself up, his whole world swayed as if he were drunk. He blinked trying to clear his vision and his snarling filled the room  
"It's a hundred years too soon for you to think you can take me down"  
"Just fucking try me"  
Levi forced his body to obey, he surged back towards his uncle, his ears filled with the sound of rushing blood. He threw his whole weight into tackling his uncle down, the man fell backwards striking his head against the coffee table and falling still. Levi rolled off his uncle panting.

*  
Opening his eyes, Levi groaned. The world of consciousness had rushed to hit him like a freight train, and he pushed himself up, wincing as he did so. His ribs were tender and the pounding in his head was about as enjoyable as a wind up monkey with cymbals. An annoyed glance around the room told him he was in hospital, he struggled trying to remember what had happened, but drew a blank. His hand found the call buzzer and pushed down on it. It was a few minutes before Hanji came strolling in, her broad smile was more irritating than comforting  
"Look who's awake!"

Levi shot her a seething glare, but it didn't impact on her smile at all. She walked over and became jotting down things on the clipboard in her hand  
"What happened?"  
Hanji's smile faded  
"Eren called me"  
Levi's couldn't help but be filled with a sense of dread  
"Eren? Where is he?"  
"Let's worry about you first. Now, any pain?"  
"Hanji, tell me!"  
"He's fine, the babies are fine... physically at least"  
Levi opened his mouth  
"I'll tell you all about it if you tell me what hurts"  
"My ribs and my head. Now talk"  
Hanji pulled out a small pen torch and proceeded to blind him as she checked both his eye, Levi growled as she stayed silent  
"Pupils are reacting normally, I'll give you something for the pain"  
She moved from the room and returned a few minutes later, injecting something into his IV line before disposing of the needle in the sharps bin and then sitting on the edge of the bed  
"Ok. First you need to know you've been in a medically induced coma for the last 8 days, we took the breathing tube last night and have been weening you off as the swelling to your brain finally went down enough for us to safely wake you"  
"8 days. What the fuck"  
"You're lucky to be alive. Do you remember what happened?"  
Levi shook his head, regretting it the instant he did  
"Eren called me in a panic. He said you'd told him to wait in the car because Kenny was at your house"  
"That makes sense..."  
She was obviously trying to lead him into remembering  
"He said that Kenny had come out and that you hadn't, he was scared you'd be mad, but still sent to look to look for you. Apparently the living room was a mess and there was blood under the floor, he found you bleeding and unresponsive. He was articulate enough to tell me that, but then the call ended. I called for an ambulance and drove over to check on him, by the time I got there he was having an episode. He thought you were Grisha and that you were dead"  
Levi groaned, he tried to struggle up  
"I need to see him"  
"He's safe, he's on another floor in a private room... but Levi... he still thinks your Grisha and dead, he's been eating and drinking when prompted but he still hasn't come out of the episode, and he's confused as to why he hasn't been put into a facility yet and doesn't understand why he feels so nauseous"  
"Did you tell him he was pregnant?"  
Levi knew his tone held a hint of sarcasm but he was so fucking angry that Eren was separated from him... especially with his mental state as it was  
"Yes, but he seems to forget almost immediately"  
"Hanji. I need to see him"  
"You're in no condition to be moving"  
"Then bring him here. Let him see me"  
Hanji opened her mouth, but Levi cut her off  
"If you don't, I'll climb out of this bed and hunt him down myself"  
"Look, it's not that easy"  
"It's Eren, if your patient he'll cooperate"  
"We've had to keep him on a low dose of sedatives, it won't harm either child"  
"You're keeping him drugged"  
"We had to. Stress can lead to all sorts of complications..."  
Levi growled and Hanji sighed  
"It's a delicate situation"  
Having had enough he pulled the cannula from his hand and then started pulling at the pads across his chest. Hanji grabbed both his hands  
"Levi. Stop. You need to listen to me"  
"No. You need to bring Eren to me or get the fuck out of me way"  
The woman bit her lip, Levi didn't shy away from the look of sadness on her features, he glared at her until she finally gave a small nod  
"I'll send someone into place in a new IV and straighten out those monitor pads. But you need to behave, and you need to realise that Eren might not give you the reaction you're looking for"  
The alpha nodded and Hanji pressed the call button, a male nurse appeared at the door and Hanji moved to talk briefly with him, the poor man's eyes kept flicking over to Levi and he was sure the nurse was petrified as he walked into the room. Levi closed his eyes and let the nurse work, he forced himself to be patient, telling himself over and over to keep calm for Eren's sake.

*  
He had no idea how long Hanji had made him wait, but finally he heard squeaking on the linoleum floor and opened his eyes to her wheeling Eren in. His mate looked completely empty, like nothing was happening behind those precious green eyes. He let out a small whine of pain  
"Eren..."  
Eren didn't respond and Hanji shot him a look  
"Hanji... can you help Eren up next me?"  
"You're covered in wires, that's hardly a good idea"  
"Just... please..."  
Hanji leant down and spoke to Eren, Eren nodded and Hanji moved to help him up and over to the bed, once closer Eren's eyes widened a fraction  
"Hey Eren"  
Tears began to fill Eren's eyes and Hanji guided him onto the edges of Levi's bed, the omegas hand shook as he reached out slightly before dropping his hand back down  
"Hanji, can you give us some space"  
Hanji frowned  
"Just for a little bit..."  
"Half an hour. You can have half an hour. You've just woken up from serious brain trauma"  
"Thank you!"  
Hanji left but left the door open. Levi quickly pushed her from his mind  
"Eren, do you remember who I am?"  
Eren looked down, Levi reached for his hand, Eren didn't pull it back and Levi offered him a smile  
"Do you want to lay down?"  
Eren shook his head, he bit down hard on his lip  
"Hey, don't do that... its alright"  
Eren released his lip and shook his head again  
"It's not alright?"  
"He... he's dead..."  
Eren's voice sounded so very broken  
"Who's dead?"  
"Dad's dead..."  
Levi wasn't sure what to say, it wasn't like Eren had a good relationship with his father, but he couldn't just let the teen think Grisha was dead  
"Eren, Grisha isn't dead..."  
"He is... there was so much blood..."  
"No, that wasn't your father... that was me. You called Hanji and got me help. You saved me"  
Eren shook his head at Levi's soft words  
"Yes you did"  
"No... everyone leaves me behind... mum and dad... they're both gone..."  
Eren sniffled and Levi forced himself up, he pulled the teen close to him and rubbed Eren's back  
"Hey... you're not alone... I'm here, I'm not going anywhere... and then we'll have the twins..."  
Levi nuzzled into Eren's neck, he pressed kissed against Eren's smooth skin and Eren shuddered before bursting into sobs, the alpha held his mate close.

The pair were still like that when Hanji came back to check on them. Hanji looked over at the pair and her face softened, Levi caught her and pushed Eren back gently  
"Hanji's back"  
"It's alright. Eren, I need to run some tests on Levi. You can stay if you want, but I need you hop down off the bed for me"  
Eren gave Levi a sad look and slid out the alphas hold, he moved to the chair in the room and sat, pulling his legs up and curling into a ball  
"Well I guess that answers that"  
Hanji moved over and started asking Levi all sorts of, what he considered stupid, questions such as his name and age etc. Levi struggled to pay attention to her, his eyes kept going back to his sad mate in the corner. Finally she finished up and smiled  
"Good, are you still in pain?"  
"No, my head's still throbbing, but not as badly as before"  
"Good, and lastly I need to check your reflexes and then I'll leave you with Eren for a little while longer"  
She tested his reflexes and strength, making him wriggle his toes and then touching his legs to see what he could feel. He felt even more like an idiot, but she kept her word and left when she was done. Levi patted the bed and Eren moved back, he climbed up and settled against Levi, an arm around his chest and he offered the alpha small smile  
"Hey, how you feeling?"  
"Scared... I was really scared..."  
"I'm really proud of you"  
"I feel foggy..."  
"Hanji said they gave you a light sedative... that's probably why"  
"I had another episode didn't I...? I can't remember how I got here"  
"You did, but it's alright. No ones mad and you and the twins are fine"  
Eren nodded  
"Do... do you remember... what happened?"  
Levi shook his head  
"Hanji said Kenny was there, so I guess I'm lucky I'm alive"  
"I'm sorry... you told me to wait... but I couldn't..."  
"No, I'm sorry you had to see me after I got my arse kicked. Hanji said you thought I was Grisha"  
Eren shuddered  
"I don't remember..."  
"It's better that way"  
"What happens now?"  
"Well, I'll probably be here a few days and then we'll go home and I'll be adding more locks to the front door. I have no idea how he knows my codes but it's not alright"  
"He looked really mad... and there was blood on his face"  
"He deserved it"  
Eren settled down and Levi was more than happy to hold him close, eventually the teen fell asleep in his arms and Levi made the most of the quiet moment.


	12. Chapter 12

Hanji made him stay for 4 days, but was kind enough to transfer Eren into his room. His mate was doing better. Eren no longer needed the sedatives instead he spent more of his time curled up on Levi's bed sleeping than his own... not that Levi minded in the slightest. At Levi's request Hanji had called the police in, the alpha was filing for a VRO, he didn't care about his job or house or money, just about nothing else mattered, he wanted to protect Eren from the coming storm. With time his memories of that day had returned, he knew Kenny coming to tell him about being sued by the Braun's meant that the man hadn't been able to buy their silence. He was ready tear Reiner to shreds, everyone at the function that night knew the truth and even better the man named Bertholdt did too. 

Hanji had driven both he and Eren home, Eren had been silent the whole drive, his body shivered despite the heat in the car. Levi held him close in the backseat, pressing kisses to the teens temple and whispering words of comfort. Truthfully he was more than a little afraid of what he'd be leading Eren into, he assumed no one had visited the house since that day and he really wasn't looking forward to what would be waiting. Pulling up in the drive way, the alpha helped Eren out the car first. He took his hand and lead him towards the front door, he could hear Eren struggling for breath and looked to Hanji. The woman came up behind Eren and guided him back a bit leaving Levi to head in alone.

The smell of bleach hit him like a smack to the face and he plunged into the pungent scent. He stopped at the living room doorway, nothing was out of place, no trace showed that anything had happened and Levi supposed it was the work of Kenny. If there was no evidence than surely nothing happened. He back tracked out to where Hanji and Eren were standing   
"It's safe"  
Levi held his hand out and Eren moved to take it, his other hand came to lie firmly around Levi's upper arm. He kept him pace slow as they moved inside and Eren let out a small whimper just as they reached the doorway  
"There's nothing there, it's all gone"  
He pulled Eren slightly into the living room, the teen kept his face hidden against Levi's shoulder until Levi lifted his chin and made him look  
"It's alright. There's nothing here to be afraid of"  
Eren shook his head, he let go of Levi's hand to point to a spot near the sofa  
"That's where you were..."  
Eren let out a small choked sob and Levi pulled him back against him   
"Why don't we go up to our room?"  
Eren nodded against his shoulder, Levi looked back at Hanji   
"Thanks for driving us back, I'm going to get him settled down"  
"I get it, I get it, I'm going! Let me know if you need anything"  
Levi gave her a smile and thanked her, Eren tried to thank her, but it was muffled by Levi's chest. She nodded understandingly and left.

Levi lifted Eren easily and carried him up the stairs, he pinned the code into his door and Titan came flying out, the alpha was struck with guilt, he'd been absent for 12 days and hadn't even thought to worry about the tom. He carried Eren over to their bed and sat him down, the teen pinched his nose as the smell of cat piss met them   
"Titan got locked in, I need to clean up his mess... will you be alright?"  
Eren shook his head  
"Can I go to my room instead?"  
"Yeah, maybe that will be better"  
Levi lifted Eren again and carried him back downstairs and through to the teens room, the door was closed, so Levi assumed it was safe. He opened the door and moved over to the bed, he sat Eren up and pressed a kiss to his lips   
"Will you be alright? I'll be right up in our room, and I've got to find Titan and feed him"  
Eren nodded and looked down at his lap  
"Will you tell him I'm sorry..."  
Levi smiled  
"You have nothing to be sorry about, but if it will make you feel better"  
"Please"  
Levi kissed his forehead   
"Sure"  
He rose and moved away from Eren, he was sure Titan hadn't been in his room that day and it was obvious someone had been there in their absence. A chill ran down his spine and he wondered what else was done without his knowledge. Staying here was no longer appealing. He headed up to his room, Titan had messed up the bathroom, but mainly in the bath. He cleaned the mess up and triple rinsed and scrubbed the tub. He then scrubbed himself over, before walking off to find Titan. The cat was hiding in the kitchen, well he was actually sitting and staring at his empty bowl. He hadn't lost much weight by the seem of it and Levi was relieved, he picked up the tom cat and snuggled him for a moment before putting him down and fetching out a can of cat food for him. Having accomplished feeding his cat, he headed back to Eren. The teen was sitting cross legged on the bed, his shirt pulled up and his hands rested on the bump, Levi crossed the gap and bounced down on the bed lightly, he rolled onto his stomach and pressed kissed to Eren's. Eren whined lightly, his eyes closed and his head lolled back  
"You alright there?"  
"Mhmm... it feels nice"  
Levi sat up  
"I had wanted to talk to you, but if you want me to take care of you first..."  
"No... we can talk. I have something to tell you though..."  
Levi drew his eyebrows together  
"I... I never hated you... it just really hurt that you yelled my secret out like that... I was just really hurt and disappointed"  
"I know. I was a dick... my mouth wouldn't stop"  
"And then... you two... I was so happy when I saw his nose was broken... it scared me that I could be so happy about someone being in pain... I don't want to feel like that"  
"I'm being sued..."  
Eren shook as tears formed  
"No... no, you don't need to cry. It'll be fine"  
"No... it won't... he'll hurt you and... and..."  
Levi shook his head  
"No. I'm fucking sick of Kenny and I'm sick of Reiner... I'm not going down without a fight"  
"I don't want you to get hurt. I can't do this alone"  
"I know but you're not going to be alone. Now, I was thinking that we could go away for a few days, take Titan and air out the house?"  
"You're hiding something"  
"Someone cleaned the house and I'm just a bit freaked from it all..."  
"You don't know who?"  
"No... I think it would have been Kenny and now I'm all jumpy"  
"Can we go?"  
"Yeah, anywhere you want. I didn't want to scare you"  
"I need to know the truth... so I don't get so confused"  
"Ok. I need to pack some things I'll need and find Titan's carrier. Do you need help packing?"  
Eren shook his head and Levi couldn't resist taking Eren's stomach in his hands and pressing another kiss to the swell  
"I love all three of you"  
"I... we... love you too"  
Levi left Eren to pack, he first headed to the office and gathered everything he could as well as his laptop. He carried the assorted jumble out the breakfast counter and dumped it down. He next found Titan's carrier and the spent the next half hour trying to catch the cat. He remembered Eren wanted him to apologise for him and sheepishly apologised. He placed Titan up on the counter and grabbed out a stack of cat food tins. Finally he jogged up to his room and grabbed down his suitcase, he stuffed as many clothes as he could into it until it was half full, he'd left space for Eren's things and carried it down to Eren's room. The teen was struggling through his things and Levi came up behind him, wrapping his arms around him  
"Just grab everything"  
"But not everything fits"  
Eren sounded embarrassed and Levi grinned happily  
"We'll have to buy you some more then"  
"No..."  
"You need clothes, so it's fine, we can go now? Or maybe find somewhere to go first?"  
"I don't care. I just don't want to be here and I don't want to go back to hospital ever again"  
"I know, now what are you going to take?"  
Eren leant his head back on Levi's shoulder   
"I don't know... I know I should know but..."  
"Sit on the bed and I'll pack for you"  
"I don't want to be so useless"  
"You're not useless..."  
Levi pulled back and turned Eren around he took his mates hands and looked him in the eye  
"I promise we'll work all this out together, so just trust me... even if it's just a little"  
He leant in and kissed Eren's lips, sealing his promise before leading Eren to the bed. He walked back and looked at Eren's clothes, not sure what to pack he grabbed things at random and then stuffed it all in the case, he had to back track having nearly forgotten underwear and socks for is mate. He was fine with Eren running around with no underwear, but he doubted Eren would feel the same. Once done he zipped the suitcase closed  
"Done. Anything else you want to bring?"  
"Can we bring my blankets...?"  
"Sure"  
He didn't question why, he figured that the teen had had enough of foreign bedding  
"Oh, what happened to the keys for the SUV?"  
Eren shook his head   
"It's alright, we'll take the sedan"

It took the better part of the next 45 minutes to check everything was packed and then to finally leave the house, Eren sighed deeply as Levi pulled out onto the main road  
"Have you thought about where you want to go?"  
"Somewhere we can be alone... I don't want people to think I'm crazy"  
"You're not crazy, but being alone sounds nice. You said you've never been camping before?"  
"I can't go camping like this"  
"No, I just remembered Erwin's family has a cabin, we could go there?"  
"Won't that be an inconvenience..."  
"Why don't we go see if he's home? You don't have to talk to him... I know he scares you"  
"I... don't mean to be scared"  
"You can't help it, he understands that"  
Eren fell silent and Levi drove towards Erwin's house.

Erwin's house stood proudly, it had the facade of an old Victorian, with a renovated modern interior. Levi pulled into the driveway and turned to Eren   
"I won't be long"  
"It's ok..."  
Levi could tell its wasn't ok, Eren was probably thinking of how he left him behind when Kenny was waiting for him   
"You can come in if you want... or I can stay outside and talk to Erwin"  
"No, that'd be weird"  
"Do you want me to leave the radio on?"  
"Please, silence is scary"  
Levi turned the key and the engine died, leaving just the radio playing   
"I'll be right back"  
He forced himself away from his mate, he couldn't help but feel like he was leaving Eren behind, even though he knew he'd only be a few minutes. Anxious to get this over with, he jogged up to his friends door and pushed the bell, Erwin had cameras installed so he knew his friend would know who it was. It was barely a minute before the door opened, Erwin looked exhausted but still offered him a smile  
"Levi, when'd you get out?"  
"A couple of hours ago. You look like shit"  
"Kenny's got everyone working over time"  
"I suppose you heard what happened?"  
"With the Braun's or what happened to you? Hanji filled me in when I picked up your phone and keys"  
"Thank fuck you have them. I think Eren was worrying about it"  
"I had your house cleaned too, went through the garage"  
Levi could have laughed with relief  
"Erwin. You are the greatest. I thought it was Kenny and I was freaking out"  
"No, Kenny's been too busy slagging you off and showing up drunk"  
Levi pulled a face  
"Well, very soon he's going to be reaping what he's sewn. Him and Reiner Braun"  
Erwin's eyes narrowed  
"You're not thinking of taking them both on?"  
"Well the Braun's are suing, and I've taken a VRO out on Kenny"  
The blonde let out a whistle  
"Is that why you're hear?"  
"No, actually I wanted to know if your family still owned that cabin?"  
"The one in the middle of nowhere?"  
"That's the one. Eren doesn't feel comfortable at home, and I don't want him stressing"  
"I think I have the keys, but what do I say if anyone's looking for you?"  
"I'll be taking my phone, tell them to call"  
"Even Kenny?"  
"Tell him you haven't seen me, it's safer for you"  
"Well as things stand, I don't think I'll be working there much longer"  
"I honestly can't blame you"  
Erwin nodded and scrubbed his face  
"Right, keys, keys and phone"  
The man disappeared back into his house, reemerging a few long minutes later, he waved a piece of paper in his fingers  
"I figured you might actually want the address"  
Levi snorted  
"One track mind"  
"You know, I had my doubts about Eren, but you've changed"  
"Is that a good thing?"  
"Yes and no. Now you should go. I'll call you in anything major comes up and don't forget to do food shopping, I think my parents have forgotten they even own the place"  
In other words it would be full of dust and need to be cleaned from top to bottom. He was going to have trouble preventing Eren from helping... nodding he took the items from Erwin's hands and jogged back to the car.

Eren looked at him the second he slipped into the car  
"So, I have news and these"  
He held up his keys and phone  
"I..."  
Eren shook his head  
"What's the news?"  
"Erwin cleaned the house up, not Kenny. But I still want to take you away for a bit"  
"That was nice of him..."  
In other words, thank fuck it wasn't Kenny   
"Yep, so we need to grab cleaning supplies and food and clothes"  
"And he doesn't mind?"  
"He's pretty sure his parents have forgotten about it. He also wrote down the address. Soo let's go shopping really quickly and then we'll head out?"  
"Ok..."  
Eren was obviously not thrilled about shopping but he put on a brave front.

The shops weren't as busy as Levi had expected and no one paid them any mind. He left the car windows down and kept Titan on his mind the whole time, not wanting to leave the cat for too long. They first went shopping for sheets, towels and clothes for Eren. The teen stopped as they were walking to the register, his hands went to his stomach and Levi was worried until he realised Eren's gaze had fallen on the baby section   
"Do you want to take a look?"  
Eren looked to him, he didn't answer but his eyes said it all. A very clear yes. They moved into the rows of clothes and Eren's eyes were wide, he picked up a few small items and placed them back  
"Eren, anything you like you can put in"  
"No... I.."  
"No? I? What?"  
"It doesn't matter"  
"It matters to me"  
"I'm just scared I'll wake up and this will all be a dream"  
Levi pinched his arm and Eren yelped  
"You definitely aren't sleeping"  
Eren shook his head   
"Not right now..."  
He could smell his mate becoming distressed  
"Ok, but remember, anything you like"  
They began back towards the register, Eren didn't place anything in and the joined the queue. Finally when it was there turn, Levi's first card was declined, he realised he'd tried to use the business card and not his personal, laughing it off he swiped his personal card and the transaction went through. Eren was shaking by the time they actually made it out the shop and Levi pulled him over to a bench, forcing him to sit before sitting next to him  
"What's wrong?"  
"I thought it wouldn't go through"  
"That was my bad. I tried to use the business card without thinking"  
"So you've been cut off?"  
"Yeah, but it doesn't matter. I don't want Kenny's money. I have my own remember"  
"I feel like I should do something to repay you, you take really good care of me, making sure I have clothes and stuff"  
"That's because I love you. Now, do we drop all this off first?"  
"Yeah... I want to check Titan"  
Levi ruffled Eren's hair gently, receiving a pout for his deed  
"You are so precious and perfect"

*  
Having gone food shopping, Levi stocked up on basically everything, especially chocolate. He'd gone overboard with cleaning products and Eren had insisted on extra food for Titan and a new litter box and bed. He found it sweet that his omega was paying so much attention to their cat. Eren probably still thought of Titan as Levi's, but given the fact the cat had scared the hell out the omega the first day Levi had brought him home, well, it was huge progress. It took them 4 hours before they finally left the City's outskirts. He'd entered the cabins address into the GPS and was hoping for the best, but even if they didn't find the place, they still had enough to pretty much set up anywhere.

Eren's stomach grumble and Eren looked embarrassed, Levi pulled off the road and reached over into the backseat, he pulled out a big block of chocolate and presented it to his mate  
"You remembered?"  
"That you like chocolate? Of course. I remember everything about you"  
Eren blushed adorably   
"Thank you"  
"It's fine, do you want anything to drink?"  
"Nooo... I don't want to have to pee"  
Levi snorted  
"I think that comes with being pregnant"  
"It sucks..."  
Levi nodded, he waited for the few cars to pass before pulling back onto the road. They'd barely driven for half an hour before Eren groaned, Levi's heart started to race unintentionally   
"What's wrong?"  
"I need to pee"  
Levi laughed lightly, soon stopping when Eren looked hurt  
"It's fine, I'm sorry, you're just adorable. Now or can you wait until we find a service station"  
"I can wait"  
It turned out to be another half an hour before they finally came across a busy service station, Levi pulled up close to the public toilet and Eren practically jumped out the car. Levi hurried out, not needing the bathroom, but worried for Eren. He walked slowly towards the bathroom, only to see Eren step back, the door was hidden from his view and he jogged forward. Two stupidly large alphas walked into Eren like he wasn't even there, their bleach blonde hair had obviously killed any brain cells they'd been born with and Levi rushed towards his mate. The pair continued on and Levi forced the anger back. Eren's eyes were wet and Levi realised his omega was having an episode. He helped him up and into the bathroom, manouvering Eren into the first available stall. He took Eren's face in his hands and forced him to look at him  
"Eren, come on, it's fine. You're fine, I'm here"  
He might have expected Eren to wet himself, but he didn't expect the teen to vomit all over him. Once done Eren looked up at him guiltily   
"I'm... I..."  
He promptly began to cry  
"Eren, we have a car full of clothes. It's fine, you use the toilet and I'll change... is that ok?"  
"You're mad aren't you?"  
"Not at you"  
Eren looked down sadly and Levi wished he could hug the teen, but that would mean messing both of them up  
"I promise it's not you. I'll be right back"  
Levi slipped from the stall, he waited until the lock slid into place before jogging out to the car and finding out something to wear. He wound up grabbing a set of Eren's clothes, they were easiest to access after all. He jogged back to the bathroom and knocked on the stall door   
"Eren?"  
"I'm ok... hang on"  
Levi heard the toilet flush and the door unlocked, Eren really didn't look ok   
"You wash your hands and I'll change. 2 minutes tops"  
Eren nodded and moved to the counter. Levi wanted to dunk the whole room in bleach. He stepped into the stall and stripped off his shirt and pants, his chest was a little damp so he wiped himself and then dressed. Eren's pants were stupidly long, he knew his teen had long legs.. but fuck. He rolled up the hems and unlocked the door, Eren looked at him like he was crazy  
"I'll wash my hands and we can go"  
Eren stepped aside. Levi had ditched his ruined clothes, grabbing his phone, keys and wallet from the pockets, it wasn't like he had any attachment to them anyway  
"It's fine, let's go?"  
Eren shook as they walked outside, Levi pulled him close, some shit bag kid was staring and pointing, Levi snarled at him causing Eren to whimper. He quickly apologised to his omega and ushered Eren into the car. Eren's thoughts were obviously still on what had happened. Levi pulled out a bottle of water and passed it to him  
"Rinse and spit"  
The omega followed his instructions and then drank deeply, he seemed to immediately regret his actions  
"What's wrong? The taste?"  
"No... just thinking about the fact I'll have to pee again later"  
"Well, we still have 3 hours I think until we get there... I don't actually know"  
"That isn't very comforting"  
"You can sleep, or let we can let Titan out, he'll probably just fall asleep somewhere"  
"Really?"  
"Yeah"  
Levi had to half crawl into the backseat to let Titan free, he then found a bowl and poured water into it, the cat eyed it obviously not happy it's wasn't food.

*  
It was closer to 4 and a half hours before they finally came to the end of the dirt road and the cabin stood before them. It was more than just a cabin, but not quiet a house. He didn't really know what to call it, but right now he'd settle for calling it home.

Leaving Eren asleep in the car with Titan on his lap, Levi grabbed the keys and headed up to the front door, the second it opened he was greeted with a cloud of dust and coughed in disgust. He tried the lights and they flicked on easily enough, at least that was something. They revealed a very outdated decor covered in about an inch of dust, the sofas of the living area were covered in plastic sheeting, so at least they'd have somewhere to sleep if the beds were in such a condition as the rest. He walked through area opening all the windows before walking into the kitchen, the fridge had been left open and he nudged it further open with his foot. It was gross, but not mouldy, he flicked the power switch on and the device hummed to life. So far so good. Next he tried the kitchen taps, they rattled and then brown sludge water splattered into the sink, he left the running before heading upstairs. Upstairs was just as dated. The first room to the left was an office, the desktop, printer and fax machines looked like fossils, he shook his head feeling old. Kids these days had no idea how far technology had advanced.

He opened the office window before heading back into the hallway. There was a small bathroom between two bedrooms, he smiled at the second of the bedrooms, it was obviously the one Erwin had used a child. Peeled stickers covered the side of a chest of draws and glow in the dark stars covered the ceiling, it was a very different side to his friend. Given the room only had one bed, he opened the window and closed the door, he'd let it air and then set Titan up there until the house was clean. The master bedroom was in better condition then the rest of the house, the bed was covered in a dust cloth and when he pulled it back it wasn't made. He smiled, he could work with this. He'd clean this room up first and get Eren settled and then conquer the rest of the house.

Heading back down to the kitchen, he found the water from the taps finally clean, the hot was running cold and he assumed there must be a gas hot water system somewhere in the residence, but for now cold would do for quick rinse down. He set about retrieving the cleaning supplies from the car and went to work on the master bedroom. Midway through Eren finally wandered in, he looked exhausted and Titan didn't look to pleased at being carried around in his arm  
"Hey, how you feeling?"  
"Sleepy"  
"Well I've nearly cleaned this room up, so you'll be able to sleep soon"  
Eren nodded and yawned, Titan tried to escape   
"Why don't we put Titan in Erwin's old room for now?"  
Levi crossed and took Titan from Eren's hands, he carried the tom to Erwin's room, shutting the window before placing the cat down  
"Don't worry, I'm not going to forget about you this time"  
Titan looked disgusted with the room and Levi closed the door behind him. 

In the bedroom Eren was sitting on the bed, it was clear he was trying not to fall asleep again. The alpha crossed over to the teen   
"Eren, do you want to stay here while I finish?"  
Eren nodded quickly   
"Ok, hang on"  
Levi stripped off Eren's shirt and laid it on the bed  
"The blankets are still in the car..."  
Eren didn't reply, he brought his legs up and laid his head on the shirt. It didn't take him long to fall back to sleep.

Levi left Eren sleeping, he cleaned the whole room and then headed down to the car, he didn't head back up there until the car was completely unloaded onto the kitchen bench. With Eren's blankets from home and the new sheets he did his best to make the bed around the teen, one side first and then picking up Eren and moving him to said side, he made the other... secretly proud Eren had slept through it all. With Eren tucked away, he set about cleaning out the bathroom, and the first floor. Everything would get a rescrub in the morning, but for now he was satisfied Eren wasn't going to get a lung dust every time he moved.

Given he was still wide awake, he set about setting himself up in the office. With only Eren around, he didn't need to hide anything and pulled out all this shit he'd grabbed from his office, he stripped down the cork board and covered it in various sheets of information. He wanted to print the documents and emails from his phone, but the printer was so outdated it wasn't even a scanner. 

*  
It took Eren a few days adjust, the second day there had been eventful. Levi'd slept late and had awoken to an empty bed, scrambling out of the room in a blind panic he'd ran downstairs to find the front door open. He didn't even bother to find his shoes before plunging out into the wooded landscape. It didn't take long to find the teen, he was sitting just a few metres off the gravel parking space, but he was only wearing his underwear and was covered in dirt. Levi would have laughed if Eren hadn't been crying, instead he sat down next to his mate and pulled him close. Even though the day was warm, Eren was freezing and clearly confused as to where he was and why he was there. He held Eren until he stopped crying and once the teen was done, he picked him up and carried him inside, sitting him down on the a smaller sofa in the living area. He wanted to clean his lover up so was forced to go searching for the hot water system. He found the laundry towards the back, hidden behind a disgusting looking door. The system was gas as he'd guess and he cleaned out all the spiderwebs before following the instructions and lighting it. He was surprised when it lit so easy and wondered if was connected to a mains somewhere along the line rather than bottle. Eren was still sitting in the living room when he returned and he gently coaxed him up and into the bathroom. He'd thought that once showered, changed and fed his mate feel a little less confused. It didn't help, if anything Eren regressed further. He threw his plate across the room before running out the front door. Levi followed without hesitation, Eren hadn't run far before tripping and when Levi went to help him up the teen had started screaming that he wanted to be taken back to Levi. It broke Levi's heart to hold Eren as the teen fought him so badly while screaming for him. Eventually Eren wore himself out and Levi was able to carry him back inside and up to their room. His mate slept through until the next morning, but woke up screaming and Levi found himself copping a foot to the face as Eren tried to crawl away from him. It wasn't until their third day there that Eren actually seemed to come back to his senses fully and Levi was exhausted... not that he'd tell Eren. He wondered if he'd done the right thing taking Eren away from the house after all and as soon as Eren had seen his blackened eye he'd started crying and apologising, the whole situation was going the opposite of the small dream he'd had.


	13. Chapter 13

Levi woke to Eren staring at him, it was day number four and the alpha had no idea how things were going to go, he reached out and cupped Eren's face, pulling him in for a good morning kiss, his mate wriggled and Levi eyed him as he pulled back  
"What's wrong brat?"  
Eren blushed slightly and Levi gathered what was wrong, smiling he rolled over and straddled Eren's hips, his mate moaned the moment Levi's arse brushed against his erection  
"I see someone's awake..."  
Eren nodded and Levi leant down, claiming Eren's lips roughly, he opened his mouth and Eren slid his tongue in easily, deepening the kiss as the teens hands slid to grip Levi's waist. Yep, Eren was definitely awake. Levi moaned as the kiss broke  
"Weren't we going to have more sex?"  
Eren nodded slowly, his eyes were wide and Levi laughed lightly, his hand slid down Eren's chest and came to tug at the hem of Eren's shirt, the omega sat up lightly and let Levi stripped the garment off. Levi smiled as he pressed open mouthed kisses to Eren's neck before making his way down, he nuzzled against Eren's baby bump, the omega whined beneath him, causing Levi to smirk. He slid back up and licked and suck on Eren's nipples, raising them to hard peaks before blowing over them gently. Eren was grinding up against him in frustration and he loved it.

When he slid from Eren's lap and tugged on his underwear Eren shook, pulling the soaked fabric down, the delicious smell of slick filled the room and Levi growled. He threw Eren's underwear off the bed and went straight down on the teen, sucking hard as his fingers went straight to opening and teasing his mate. Eren's fingers carded through his hair, he rocked his hips unashamedly and when he finally came, Levi swallowed contently. Whether it be slick or cum, Eren had such a sweet taste and he couldn't get enough. His mate panted hard as Levi lifted his legs and Levi waisted no time rubbing the head of his weeping erection against the teens dripping entrance   
"Don't tease..."  
Levi took his time teasing Eren, he rubbed small circles with the pads of his thumbs as rocked lightly against his whining mate. Finally, when he couldn't stand the desire any longer, he pressed in and Eren screamed his name as he came again. Paying no heed to his spent lover, Levi began to work towards his own orgasm, his thrusts were hard and deep leaving Eren shaking and whimpering beneath him, he loved dominating Eren like this, part of him knew he shouldn't, but he just couldn't help it. He slammed in over and over and Eren mewed as he finally knotted, he lifted Eren up and kissed him as he released inside, his mates insides were so wet and hot, and the way they clenched and pulsed had him rocking before he'd even come down from his high. Eren hung limply to him, his mate was leaking cum in a slow dribble, completely spent, but Levi didn't let him go, he licked and sucked marks over Eren's neck. Eren was still very much aroused, he couldn't smell any sort of fear or distress, so he spent the morning exploring and opening Eren's body over and over. By the time he finally pulled out Eren had a sleepy happy smile on his face, it was beautiful. Eren was beautiful.

Laying there with Eren across him, Levi took the teens left hand in his, he pressed kisses to Eren's knuckles and Eren giggled sleepily   
"Eren... once this is all sorted, will you marry me? I know we're bonded, but... I want to be with you"  
Eren nodded against him   
"You're probably the only one for me"  
His tone was the lightest Levi had ever heard  
"Did you make a joke?"  
"Maybe... I can't really remember how to... but we're bonded..."  
"Mhmm... I like the name Eren Ackerman"  
"I do too..."  
Levi pressed a kiss to the top of Eren's head, he wanted to sleep, but given they were covered in all sorts of fluids it was definitely shower time.

Shower time turned into another round of sex, Levi couldn't help be turned on as he cleaned down Eren's belly bump, his pride was bursting with each touch of the swell. He came with a growl, biting into Eren's shoulder and Eren whined in response, when he pulled back he licked over the bite and pressed a kiss to it  
"I was thinking about going into town, do you want to come with me?"  
"I want to sleep"  
Levi nuzzled Eren's neck, his knot tugged at the movement  
"I know, but I want to show you off, show them all what they can't have"  
"Show them they can't have me? Why would they want me"  
Levi sighed   
"Because you're sexy as fuck and amazing"  
Eren snorted and Levi intentionally rocked hard, his knot dragging inside his love  
"We're going..."  
"Fine... but not like this"  
Levi smiled, Eren's second joke. He loved him so much.

*  
The closest town was busy given its size, it had a kind of homely feel to it, the kind of place everyone knew everyone else's business. Levi hated it. Eren stayed close to his side as they shopped in the sad excuse of a department store, still he was able to get a new printer and another phone, this one was for Eren though. He also stocked up on ink and paper. The cabin had no TV, so if they wanted to watch anything it would have to be DVD or online, Levi was surprised to find they actually stocked a few Stephen king titles and threw the DVD in the trolley. He wasn't quite done, but Eren was. He was shaking so badly that when they'd paid the woman hadn't been able to stop staring. Yep. He hated this town.

Eren still hadn't recovered when they arrived home, he headed straight up to their room and locked himself away. Levi busied himself in the office. He pulled up every email Kenny had sent him, while the printed installed, and then printed the whole lot off. He also researched everything he could on the Braun's and printed it. By the time he was done he had a small mountain of papers to search through. He started with the Braun's first. He spent hours hunched over the papers, of Erwin was there it would have taken a quarter of the time, his friend had always been better at all this stuff than him. When it all began to blur into the same thing, he threw down the papers and stalked from the office. Eren was still in bed and Levi climbed straight in. Pulling him against his chest and huffing in annoyance. He was so much better at the physical side of things, at work he had to play nice. But this wasn't work, this was for Eren and yet he was frustrated at how slow he was progressing. 

When Levi woke in the middle of the night, Eren wasn't there. The alpha slipped from the bed and shivered in the night air, he padded from the room and checked the bathroom first, given it was empty he started to worry, but moving down the hall he found the office door open. Eren was sitting in the middle of the papers he'd abandoned earlier. Levi cautiously moved into the room, but Eren didn't even seem to notice he was there. The alpha moved to sit beside his mate and Eren looked to him, his face covered in tears  
"Why... why are you..."  
Levi tugged the paper from Eren's hands  
"I'm preparing for the lawyers, I don't want to settle outside of court"  
"But..."  
"We talked about this, I won't let them get away with anything, not anymore"  
Eren let out a sob  
"I don't want them to hurt you"  
"They won't"  
"But Kenny did"  
Well, he couldn't deny that  
"Let me worry about that"  
"I don't like you trying to protect me from these things"  
"I know, but I don't like it when you're sad"  
"I don't know how to be happy... not properly"  
"I know, but you smile and sometimes even giggle, and today you were making jokes"  
"And now I'm sitting here crying"  
Levi placed the papers aside and gathered Eren up next to him  
"You were crying, now your being cuddled... so let me just cuddle you"  
Eren's stomach had other plans, it rumbled loudly and Eren started crying again  
"Is the thought of my cooking that bad?"  
"Nooo... It's embarrassing... I'm embarrassing"  
Levi sighed and shook his head   
"No it's not, now let's get you fed"

Levi may have burnt the toast, but that was because the toaster was an outdated piece of shit... not his skill. He let Eren help, the teen fried the eggs and then placed them on the toast. He said nothing about Levi's burnt offerings and they ate silently, Levi couldn't help but notice Eren tactfully avoided the toast by saying he was full  
"Do you want to watch a movie in bed?"  
"Ok... but I might fall asleep"  
"That's alright, I'll scrape the plates and head on up, I brought some DVDs, they're in the bag in the office, so go get organised while I grab everything"  
"I... I can get the DVDs..."  
"Alright, I'll meet you up there"  
Eren left and Levi rushed to clean everything up. He didn't want to doubt Eren, he just didn't want Eren spending more time in that room for tonight at least.

His omega had grabbed the laptop and DVDs by the time he got up there. Eren was sitting up and smiling down at his stomach  
"Can I take a photo of you like that?"  
Eren jumped  
"You want more photos of me?"  
Eren sounded shocked   
"Mhmm, you looked really happy just then"  
"I did?"  
"You did"  
"I didn't even realise..."  
Levi jogged out the bedroom and grabbed his phone from the office, he returned to find Eren had held the same pose. He happily took the photo and then moved to show Eren   
"I look fat..."  
"You don't look fat"  
"I do... I've never weighed this much before... Rei... he never wanted me to gain weight..."  
"Don't think about him, think about me"  
Eren moved away slightly  
"Hey?"  
"You're mad now right?"  
"No, not mad, not at you"  
"Are you sure?"  
"I'm sure. Now what do you want to watch?"  
Eren moved the pile from beside him  
"Um... I haven't seen dream catcher... but do you think it's going to be like the book?"  
"I haven't seen it either, that's why I grabbed it"  
Levi grabbed the cover and read it  
"You know, this came out when you were 3"  
"So it shouldn't be too bad right?"  
"If it is, we can change it"

Dream catcher turned out to be a horrific idea. If Eren was scared about giving birth before... he was now terrified. Levi couldn't calm him and the teen ended up curled up in a ball rocking on the floor. Unable to calm him, Levi pulled the blankets down and covered Eren's shaking, sobbing form. He sat on the bed and watched, it took a long time before Eren's sobbing finally faded, Levi moved back down and lifted Eren up and back to the bed, the omega had a firm hold on his stomach  
"You with me?"  
"I don't wanna die..."  
Eren practically wailed out the sentence, Levi nodded when in reality he wanted to laugh at his lovers cuteness  
"You're not going to die"  
"But they did"  
"Are you saying our children are monsters?"  
"Maybe"  
This time Levi did laugh, he was rewarded with a glare  
"Ok, ok, let's watch something else"  
Eren shook his head and climbed from his lap, taking the blanket with him as he burrowed under it behind him  
"Bed time it is"

Unsurprisingly Eren woke up screaming, he grabbed and clawed at Levi's arms as Levi tried to calm him  
"I don't want to be pregnant... I don't want to die..."  
Levi struggled as Eren sobbed and shook, he wasn't surprised when the teen went him self. It ended up being a long night for the both of them.

*  
Levi was in the office when the sound of crunching gravel under tyres, he peaked out window, confused as to why a police car was parked out the front. He jogged into the master bedroom where Eren was listening to music on his phone, he shook his shoulders gently and Eren blinked up at him. Levi tugged the headphones from his ears  
"Stay up here for me will you, the police are here and I have no idea why"  
Eren nodded, Levi was sure the teens heart was pounding just as much as his  
"I'll be back"

Levi opened the door just as the officer was about to knock, the man cleared his throat and Levi forced a smile  
"Can I help you?"  
"Levi Ackerman?"  
"Yes"  
"Levi Ackerman you are under arrest, You have the right to remain silent.Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.You have the right to an attorneyIf you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you. Do you have any questions?"  
Levi's mouth went dry, he had a million and one questions, he forced himself to clear his throat  
"Can I ask what this is in relation to?"  
"The attempted murder of a Kenneth "Kenny" Ackerman"  
Levi wanted to laugh, this had to be some kind of joke  
"And when did this take place?"  
The officer didn't look amused, neither did his partner, Levi kept calm as he tried to explain  
"I've been here the last 5 days with my mate. I'm happy to answer any questions and accompany you to the station, but he needs to come with me"  
"I'm afraid I can't allow that"  
"You don't understand..."  
"Sir, are you resisting arrest?"  
Levi bit down a growl, the officer at the back was already going for his taser  
"My mate was abused by his previous partner and has severe mental issues. He can't be left alone"  
The officers fingers slipped back from his taser and the closer officer pulled out his handcuffs, Levi turned allowed himself to be cuffed  
"Please, he's in the master bedroom, his names Eren and he's pregnant. He needs to come with us"  
Levi tried to plead his case without seeming too pathetic, but the police seemed to think him some violent alpha... he was pushed out the door and towards the car, and then less than gracefully into the back, he clenched his fists in anger, especially when they both walked back towards the cabin with their guns out of their halters. They were going to scare the fuck out of Eren for now reason. He growled and booted at the door, he couldn't believe this shit... but at the same time he wasn't surprised at all. But if it was about the incident at the house then Kenny then his uncle didn't have a leg to stand on. He'd already talked to the police, Hanji would back him up and he hadn't seen the man since. He booted harder and harder until Eren was finally lead from the house and he stopped immediately, his mate looked beyond confused and beyond terrified. Levi shifted in the back and made space, staying clear until Eren was seated in the back of the car next to him. The omega started to cry and Levi hushed him  
"L-Levi what's going on?"  
"Its alright, it's just a misunderstanding"  
The officer that had cuffed him snorted as he slipped into the car and Eren flinched back  
"Attempted murder is hardly a misunderstanding"  
Eren's shimmering eyes widened  
"Hey, it's alright, it'll all be alright"  
Eren shook his head  
"I'm... scared"  
"You don't need to be scared"  
Eren flinched again when the car started, he shifted closer to Levi and awkwardly wrapped his arms around him, it felt weird to be the one being comforted.

The police station was basic, fake plants did nothing to hide the stagmentation of the building. Eren was taken away from him, lead into a sad excuse of a waiting room, while he was lead off to be processed. His prints were taken and photos. Then all his details confirmed, he forced himself to be cool and calm, but it just seemed to take forever, when asked for a next of kin he gave Erwin's details and told them he'd arrange legal council. He was taken into a holding room and left, there.

He had no idea how long he was forced to wait before Erwin and his father arrived. Levi stood   
"Have you seen Eren? How is he?"  
Erwin frowned and turned to his father, the exchanged low words before Erwin looked back to him   
"I'll check on him now"  
Mr Smith entered without Erwin, Levi sat as tall as he could manage  
"It's been a while Levi"  
"Yeah, I'm sorry we had to meet again like this"  
Mr Smith nodded   
"Can you tell me what this is all about?"  
"An attempt was made on the life of Kenneth Ackerman on afternoon of May 25th"  
Levi couldn't help but laugh, Mr Smiths look said this was no laughing matter  
"That was like two weeks ago. I've already lodged a VRO over it"  
"Well nothing like that was mentioned in the case file"  
"Of course it wasn't..."  
Levi couldn't keep the bitterness out of his voice  
"Levi, these are pretty serious charges. Can you tell me what happens?"  
"It was the afternoon of Eren's 10 week appointment, Kenny was there when we got home so I had Eren wait in the car. I don't know how much you know about him..."  
"Erwin said he was your mate"  
Levi nodded  
"Yeah, well... a week before this all happened I got into a fight with Eren's old alpha, a guy called Reiner Braun, he used to abuse Eren and it ended up with him getting a broken nose. Kenny came to see me because the companies being sued and I tarnished the Ackerman name. It's a little hazy after that, I was in a medically induced come for 8 days and had to stay for another 4. After that Hanji dropped us home, but after having Kenny in there... neither of us felt comfortable. So I packed up somethings and went to see Erwin, asking to use your cabin so Eren could rest and I could prepare a case over the whole Reiner thing. Next thing I know I'm being arrested and read my rights. They didn't want to bring Eren, not until I said he wasn't mentally stable, even then they went in with their guns out"  
Levi stopped and hung his head, taking a breath after getting everything off his chest. When he looked up Mr Smith didn't look happy  
"What? What's is it?"  
"Kenny is claiming he came to visit you and you went crazy and attacked him. He says he acted in self defence and that you slammed his head into the coffee table, so he had no option rather than fighting back. The fact you don't remember doesn't bode well"  
"Fuck"  
"Who called for help?"  
"Eren. When Kenny came out and I didn't, he called for Hanji and Hanji arranged for an ambulance, but Eren was having an episode when they arrived so he doesn't remember it"  
"So Kenny could argue that Eren was the one who put you in hospital"  
Levi growled   
"Eren wouldn't do that"  
"You yourself admitted he isn't mentally stable"  
"He was fucking tortured and left for dead"  
"And he could argue that your covering for him"  
Levi let out another growl, he was thoroughly disgusted. Both men jumped when there was a knock on the door. A different officer than before stuck their head in the room  
"Were you here with "Eren"?"  
Levi jumped up  
"What's happened?"  
"We aren't sure, but he seems agitated and confused"  
Levi looked to Mr Smith  
"He's having an episode..."  
The man didn't look too happy  
"Is my client able to look in on his mate?"  
The officer looked back out the door and then nodded. Levi rushed forward only to realise how it would look and forced himself to slow  
"Where is he?"  
Levi looked around as he asked, he spotted Erwin standing across the room, trying to get his attention. Not giving two fucks he jogged across the room and barrelled past his friend. Two officers were standing in the room and he growled as he strode past them and to Eren. His omega was sitting in the corner, pulling at his hair and shaking  
"Eren? It's Levi, can you hear me?"  
Eren shook his head and Levi reached for his hands, as he'd done months ago, he untangled Eren's hair from his fingers and then tilted Eren's face up  
"Eren?"  
Eren blinked at him and Levi pulled him close  
"Hey. You with me?"  
Eren nodded against him  
"Don't... don't let him hurt me..."  
Levi frowned and then realised his mistake, already panicked Eren had mistaken Erwin for Reiner. He cursed himself   
"Eren, its Erwin. Reiner isn't here, he's not going to hurt you"  
Eren shook his head and Levi looked back over his shoulder, they were being watched closely   
"Erwin, can you come over here?"  
Eren whimpered, Levi heard Erwin's soft steps as his friend came up being him  
"See, it's just Erwin, he's not going to hurt you"  
Levi looked up at Erwin and Erwin nodded before squatting down in front of Eren. It took a moment, but Eren slowly nodded  
"Erwin..."  
"Hey, fancy meeting you here"  
Eren didn't smile  
"Eren, I still need to talk to the police some more, so can you be brave a little longer for me? Erwin here will protect you, no ones going to hurt you"  
Eren sniffled and nodded, he didn't look at Erwin as Levi helped him stand and moved him over to the rooms tatted fake leather sofa. Eren curled up, Levi turned to Erwin  
"Sorry that was my on me. He was already upset and thought you were Reiner and here to hurt him"  
Erwin nodded  
"Will he be alright?"  
"I don't know"  
Levi looked to the police and walked toward them calmly   
"Shall we do this?"  
The two arresting officers followed him uncomfortably close. Once the four of them were seated, Levi found himself repeating the same thing he'd told Erwin's father. It was a frustrating process for the alpha, no matter how many times he said the same thing, no one wanted to listen and by the end of it he wondered if he was as confused as Eren got during an episode.

He was even less impressed that he was to be held in custody and taken back to Trost for the arraignment. He was placed back in handcuffs and lead out to the reception. The alpha turned to Erwin's father  
"Can you keep and eye on Eren. Hanji can help... he remembers her, but he mixes up Reiner and Erwin... that's what caused the episode. And Titan's at the cabin, he'll need looking after"  
"We'll take care of it"  
Levi was lead through to a cell. He was forced to stay caged up until he was driven up to Trost in the morning.

The whole thing was ridiculous. Mr Smith met him at the court house, it was over even faster than he'd expected, an hours wait and then 20 minutes to plead no guilt. Kenny's lawyer had argued against bail, but Mr Smith argued that Eren was pregnant and needed constant monitoring and care due to his mental condition. Bail was set at $1,000,000 which Mr Smith fronted without breaking a sweat. The preliminary trial was set for a fortnights time and finally he was allowed some measure of freedom.

Outside the courtroom Erwin was waiting, Eren wasn't present and his heart was pounding   
"Where..."  
"He's with Hanji, we took him and Titan back to your house and she met us there"  
"Fuck... how was he?"  
"Not good, quiet and shaking. We asked him if he wanted to come home with us or stay with Hanji. He chose to go back to your place with her"  
Levi nodded, at least Eren had decided that for himself.

"We'll take you home, and talk there"  
Levi nodded, all he wanted was to see Eren

*  
Levi sighed as the door to his house opened and Hanji then threw herself on him  
"I can't believe all this is happening!"  
"Never mind that, where's Eren"  
"Up in your room. I had to give him a sedative"  
"Any episodes?"  
"That's why I had to give him a sedative, he started hallucinating you were laying on the living room floor"  
Levi groaned and Hanji let him go  
"Go see him already"  
Levi didn't need telling twice, he jogged through the house and up the stairs, his bedroom door was open and he slipped in. 

Eren was sleeping in the middle of the bed, Titan by his feet. Laying down he stared at Eren's face, he loved his omega too damn much  
"Eren?"  
Eren didn't wake, so Levi pressed a kiss to his lips before pulling him in for a quick hug. Now he'd seen his omega had made it home, it was time to go talk with Mr Smith.


	14. Chapter 14

With the preliminary trial coming and passing, Levi found his peaceful life a thing of the past. Eren had to take daily medication now to help with the episodes and the fact he'd begun vomiting up almost everything he hate. All of Levi's time was spent with his mate and Eren had become almost clingy about being with him. It was sweet for the most part, but it stung because deep down Levi knew his mate was terrified he was going to leave him behind.

Mr Smith had also looked into the Braun's case on his behalf, they were suing over slander rather than the physical side of what had happened, Levi supposed having Reiner's dirty little secrets exposed hadn't been great for their reputation in the slightest. They'd met with the Braun's once, and that was to see if they could come to some kind of settlement, when Levi refused to even look at what they wanted, Reiner had lost his cool, screaming that Levi wouldn't get away with this in court. He was surprised to realised, he'd thought the man had any sort of intelligence and was quite looking forward to seeing his face when Levi spilt all his dirty secrets. Mr Smith had tried to convince him to get Eren to submit either a statement or act as a character witness, but he didn't want to put Eren through it all.

Erwin had brought back his laptop and the information as articles he'd printed at the cabin, he'd asked him friend to leave the rest, fully intending to take Eren back there once he was allowed to leave Trost again. Working with Erwin made things so much easier, he was able to get so much more done and keep and take breaks to check on Eren... he would sit through anything to do with Kenny, but as soon as Reiner was brought up, he'd disappear into their room. He was proud of Eren for not giving into the depression that clearly had a firm hold of him, his mate was fighting in his own way and he had to respect that.

*  
The way things worked out, Reiner's case was being heard before Kenny's. The night before the trial, Eren actually took the initiative, kissing and grinding against his mate, Levi knew he was looking for something to fill the hole in his heart and gave in, the sex was was gentle and sweet, Eren laid beneath him, withering and panting as Levi took him apart. Levi wished he could capture the moment forever, the rise and fall of Eren's chest as he struggled to breathe, the way his stomach moved every time Levi moved between his legs, it was all so beautiful. When he finally knotted Eren, the teen began to cry, he kissed away all of Eren's tears, tomorrow would be hard for both of them, Eren was going to be in court... with Hanji by his side, but being so close to Reiner... just the thought of how much pain Eren would be in left Levi restless. Neither of them slept well that night, it was almost like it was their last night together. Between the few hours of napping, they'd both awaken and Levi would comfort Eren until they both shuddered to completion and then fall back to sleep again in each other's arms.

When morning came Eren joined Levi in the shower, his pupils were wide and he was slick before they even made it in there and Levi couldn't stop touching his lovers body. Once knotted together they stood under the running water, Levi's chin rested on Eren's shoulder while his hands held his mates belly, Eren shook in his arms, he wanted the day to be over and done with and for Eren to find some measure of peace. 

Levi dried Eren carefully, he paid special attention to Eren's back, he pressed kisses along the scars until Eren started to cry. Yep, today was going to be a long day.

*  
Arriving at courthouse, Hanji guided Eren away and Levi was left with a sinking feeling. He knew what he had to say would hurt Eren and he hoped his mate wouldn't have an episode, although it would certainly help with his case.

The room was quiet as he and Mr Smith walked in, they all rose for the Judge and then sat, and then the case was stated. The judge looked annoyed from the get go. He almost seemed disinterested over what surely seemed a small matter. That was until Mr Smith brought up that Reiner had a previous connection with Levi's mate... in the form of abuse. There were gasps and furious whispers between Reiner, his mother and their lawyer. Immediately the man objected, but Mr Smith didn't miss a stride as he stated that that was the issue that had started the whole incident. After that it seemed to be a match of who's balls are bigger, each smoothly arguing their cases with a hint of smugness like they held some trump. For a case over slander, it fast escalated. Levi was called to the stand and questioned and then was Reiner. The man's tone grated against Levi's ears, he couldn't imagine how Eren felt, but forced himself not to look. Evidence was then brought forth and Levi hadn't expected a request for a video to be played. The prosecution clearly wasn't either, but Reiner was smug over it all and it was allowed. Levi's heart stopped when he realised it was a video recorded by Eren. It looked like it'd been done on his laptop in their bedroom. Reiner shifted uncomfortably, but he'd already dug his own grave by assisting it be played.

"Hello, um, my name is Eren Yeager, I was born on March 30th 2000, and I'm Levi Ackermans omega... but before that from 2013 until 2015 I was in a relationship with Reiner Braun..."  
Levi finally looked back towards Eren, the omega was hidden against Hanji and Levi longed to take Eren in his arms, instead he forced himself back to the video  
"... I presented at the age of 6 and then my mother died at the age of 10. My father couldn't stomach having an omega for a son... he was a doctor and tried all different sorts of suppressants on me... he ultimately tried to kill both of us with a drug overdose, but I was too scared... After that I was moved to K-Omega facility and was there until Reiner chose me. To begin with it was really good, after everything that happened... to have someone care... it was amazing, but then he wanted children and..."  
Eren sniffled as tears ran down his face  
"When I didn't conceive immediately... he took me to a doctor... I was told I'd probably... almost certainly never be able to have children and something in Reiner broke... he'd... he'd bash me... and monitor what I ate and if he wanted sex... I had no choice.... then one day... he got really really mad. He beat the shit out of me and had me chained in the basement naked. I don't know what he used... but it was some kind of chemical"  
In the video Eren moved the laptop back and stood, giving the camera a full view of his back and small gasps filled the courtroom, even the judge looked disgusted  
"He made me lay on my stomach as it pooled and burnt through my skin... I... the pain... I wanted it to end, I wanted to die and I felt like I deserved it because I couldn't be a good omega... I couldn't give him children. He gave me another good kick to the ribs before he left me to die. I was found during a welfare check... the police took a statement, but after I was returned back to K Facility, I heard nothing from them and a few weeks later I was told Reiner was dead... I have episodes... I hallucinate things and I have nightmares about what was done and sometimes I get confused or can't remember... because of what happened... my alpha... I've been with him since the start of the year, he didn't try to force me... I couldn't understand him at first. An alpha who didn't seem to expect anything from me... I... it still doesn't seem real. Reiner never wanted to give me his mark, but Levi did, he made it seem like it was some great honour to be my mate and I'm 18weeks pregnant now with our twins... something I never thought I'd have. Levi knew some of this, that's what lead to the what he said that night, he was so mad that Reiner could hurt me and I was still suffering while he was carefree... I... it hurts to talk about it... but I don't want people thinking the wrong thing about Levi. He's a good person... probably the best I've ever met... everyday I'm with him I feel a little better... even if he doesn't know that"  
The video ended and the court room was silent, Reiner looked positively murderous, his alpha rage filling the courtroom. The doors at the creaked and Levi looked back to see Eren being led out  
"In light of this new evidence, Reiner Braun is to be taken into custody, pending further enquiry about the validity of the claims in this video. As for the plaintiffs case... given the allegations of the video, I see no other choice but to dismiss it. To be honest too many people are playing the he said something mean game and it's ridiculous"  
Levi snorted, he liked this old man and the Braun's lawyer rushed to object the man's words. All it took was one glare from the judge to silence the man and Levi looked to Mr Smith, he was offered a small smile. The judge closed the hearing and Levi let out a long breath, he ran his hands threw his hair  
"Just like that?"  
"He couldn't very well ignore that video. Eren did very well"  
"Did you ask him too?"  
"No, I received it from your email address, I had no idea what it was until I opened it. He's a brave kid"  
"Yeah... he is..."  
Moving to walk towards the door, Levi found himself face to face with Mrs Braun, the woman had a mad look in her eyes, but there was something else there... Levi didn't know what to call it but he guessed part of it was shame. He stepped aside and she strode out before him. He forced his steps to be calm as he made his way out. 

Hanji wasn't there and Levi frowned, he pulled his phone out and dialled the woman, she picked up on the second ring, telling him to come into the male bathroom at the end of the hall. She promptly hung up and Levi set off at a jog, he pushed open the door and Hanji stuck her head out of the disabled stall  
"Levi..."  
Levi ducked into the stall, Eren was sitting on the toilet shaking, his eyes were wide with fear and kept saying Levi's name over and over  
"How longs he been like this?"  
"It started just after the video began playing. I can't believe you made him do that"  
Levi glared as he moved to kneel down in front of Eren  
"I didn't even know about it"  
He took Eren's face in his hands  
"I am so proud of you"  
He pressed kisses to Eren's face and Eren tensed  
"Levi?"  
"Yep, I'm here"  
"I'm so sorry..."  
"Hush, you have nothing to be sorry for"  
"But... they all know.."  
"And I don't care"  
"But they all know you're fucking a basket case... everyone's going to know... I'm so stupid..."  
"Eren. No. Don't say that. You are not stupid. You are brave and you are not a basket case. The judge had Reiner taken into custody while they investigate. He's not going to get away with hurting you or anyone else. And you did that. I love you"  
Eren shook his head  
"Don't shake your head at me. I mean it. You are brave. And perfect. And mine. And I love you"  
Eren shook as he reached for Levi, he buried his face against the alpha and began to cry as his hands clutched Levi's shirt. Levi stood, he lifted Eren as he did and the teen wrapped his legs around his waist, they really wouldn't be able to do this much longer, Eren's form stomach was making this hard enough as it was. Hanji grabbed the door and held it open, Levi moved to the next once again she held it open. Outside Mr Smith and Erwin were standing, Levi offered them a smile as he carried Eren over  
"We can go home now right?"  
"Yeah, the police will want to talk with Eren and we'll need to get his complete records"  
Levi nodded, Mr Smith would probably have more luck with them then he and Erwin had.

*  
Levi unlocked the door and Hanji went ahead opening it and ushering them all inside. Levi was grateful to his friends, but after last night... he needed the sleep and Eren did too, the teen hadn't spoken on the way home and he hadn't let go either  
"I'm going to take him upstairs"  
Hanji nodded  
"Take your time"  
Levi gave a nod before heading up, he had to readjust his hold on Eren as he unlocked their door. Eren nuzzled against his neck and Levi smiled  
"Yep, I know, its like 10 more steps and you can sleep"  
"Sleep sounds really good..."  
"It does, but I have to talk to Mr Smith and Erwin and Hanji, so I can't sleep just yet"  
Eren whined and Levi laughed, he sat his omega on the edge of the bed and started to undress him. He paused to press kisses to Eren's belly  
"I love you... and love these little ones too"  
Eren hummed, but sounded happy enough. Once stripped Levi helped him into bed and kissed his forehead  
"You just sleep, I'll be up as soon as I can be"  
Eren nodded and closed his eyes, Levi pulled out his phone and snapped a quick photo, before pressing another kiss to Eren's forehead and forcing himself away.

It was just a brief meeting between the 4 of them, mostly about what needed to be done if the case of Eren's abuse went ahead. Levi brought up the fact that Eren had also been abused at the facility, Erwin pulled a face in obvious disgust. Things couldn't just be easy. Hanji promised to testify about Eren's mental and physical condition, as well as talking to his obstetrician. Basically Levi was to sit and wait until they all knew more. Levi didn't want to sit and wait, but Erwin reminded him that it was probably best to keep his head down with Kenny around. Disgusted by the thought he asked Erwin to stay after everyone started making plans to leave. The pair "relaxed" for the first time in what felt like forever, they watched TV and Levi made dinner, he went up and checked on Eren, convincing him to come down for dinner. At the end of the night Levi was happily buzzed and Eren was napping in his lap, having drunk too much Erwin was sleeping in a guest room for the night. Levi realised as he lifted Eren that he'd actually really needed to kick back and blow off some steam. It'd been a goodnight, he wasn't deluding himself about Eren, he was sure his mate would have at least one nightmare, but it'd been nice to to chat about work and the old times.

Eren roused when they made it to their room, Levi set him down and he sleepily stumbled into the bathroom. The alpha stripped and climbed into bed, Eren came back in just his shirt and underwear, the shirt was soon lost and then was Eren's underwear. Levi couldn't help but greedily devour his mate, and Eren made it so easy to do. He was still buried inside his mate as they curled into a ball, Eren was fast asleep before his knot had even gone down, Levi was asleep not long after.


	15. Chapter 15

Levi was all but squashed into the corner of the sofa by Eren, his mate was eating some concoction involving thick cut chips, vanilla ice cream and tomato sauce, Levi couldn't help but wrinkle his nose. He'd learnt the hard way not to interfere with Eren's cravings, he'd made the mistake of trying one of the teens "experiments" only to wince in disgust and send Eren into a sobbing mess. His brats emotions were completely out of control, one minute Eren was sobbing and the next he'd be horny and Levi had no idea how we was supposed to keep up given Eren was only 20 weeks. 

The doorbell ran and Eren jumped, Levi pressed a kiss to this temple and slid forwards slightly   
"I'll go check who it is"  
Eren nodded, he forced himself up from between Levi's legs and Levi scrambled across the sofa and across towards the door, the doorbell ran again and he cursed as he opened the door  
"Levi, I hope now isn't a bad time"  
Levi shook his head  
"No, no, it's fine, I was just watching Eren eating his latest craving"  
Mr Smith nodded knowingly  
"Have you made the mistake of question it yet?"  
"Did that before... never again"  
The man laughed as he patted Levi's shoulder and walked into the alphas house, heading towards the living area. In the few moments of Levi's absence Eren had cleaned away his craving and was now curled up completely in the corner under the blanket that had been on the recliner. Tactfully Mr Smith said nothing about this as he sat, his face instantly losing its smile  
"What is it?"  
Levi didn't want to beat around the bush if it was something bad   
"Maybe Eren would like to head upstairs..."  
Eren looked hurt and Levi shook his head  
"He's fine, so spit it out"  
"Kenny is calling Grisha as a character witness against you"  
"Wait what? That makes no sense. I haven't even met the man"  
"It's more in relation to Eren's character and how that effects you as your his mate"  
Levi growled and Eren whimpered, the teens eyes were filled with shock   
"Someone from K-Facility will be coming out also, to conduct a well fare check on Eren"  
With that Eren surged up from the sofa and all but ran up to their room, Mr Smith gave Levi a look of "did I not say he should hide" followed by a look of "go check on him"  
"He'll be fine for now, when's this supposed to take place?"  
"Within the next day or two, I only just found out... does Eren talk about Grisha?"  
"No, when Kenny bashed the fuck out of me and Eren found me, he was convinced I was Grisha and Grisha was dead... but that's about it... and the tiny bit in the video"  
Mr Smith nodded  
"Alright, well I only really came to give you the heads up. Any questions?"  
"No... yes... but no..."  
"You have no idea how many times I've heard that, you go and check on Eren, I'll let myself out"  
Levi nodded and thanked the man, like Eren had done he ran up to their room and let himself in. 

Eren's sobs were coming from the bathroom and Levi walked in to find his mate sobbing on the shower floor. He lowered himself down and moved forward so his legs were either side of Eren, his mate grabbed from his without looking  
"I don't want them to take me away... I'm sorry... I don't want to go..."  
Levi's chest grew warm with Eren's words  
"They aren't taking you away, you don't have to go back there"  
"I'm sorry... I'm being selfish..."  
"Eren, why do you think you're being selfish"  
"B-because I... I keep making trouble... but now I don't want to leave..."  
Levi snorted before he could stop himself and Eren tried to push him away  
"You don't keep making trouble, it's fine. It was a shock that Kenny was going to such extremes, but we have nothing to hide, right?"  
"... but... the episodes..."  
"Are because the facility didn't do its job properly in the first place. I will tear them to shreds if they try and start shit"  
Eren paled further and Levi moved to help him over to the toilet, his loves while body shook as he vomited, Levi did the only thing he could and rubbed Eren's back.

*  
It was the bitch director and some other equally sour looking woman who arrived on their doorstep the next morning at an ungodly hour. He'd roused Eren and the omega was sitting in the living room... Levi forced down his disgust and dislike of both women as he lead them through to the living area and Eren stood and offered them a small polite smile   
"Eren, how lovely to see you again"  
God, once sentence and Levi was already choking on the stink of their words   
"You to..."  
Eren sat back down, this time his form was more relaxed and he sat cross legged with his hands on his stomach  
"I see congratulations are in order"  
Eren nodded slowly and Levi finally took a seat next to him, leaving the two woman to figure out where to sit on their own  
"Now, you know how these things work. We need to know the kinds of things you've been up to and if your eating and if Levi's taking good care of you and any medication your on"  
Eren opened and closed his mouth, Levi watched him take in a deep breath, obviously trying to keep calm  
"Levi does take good care of me... he makes sure I'm safe if I have an episode, and he never gets mad over it. For the good of our twins... Hanji put me on a low dose of sedative and I take pills for nausea... but as you can see, I'm eating... I've gotten this huge after all..."  
Eren sniffled and Levi put his arm around him  
"And what kinds of things do yo do? Does Levi take you out? Or do you watch movies? Who cooks dinner? Those sorts of things"  
"I... I don't like going out... and he never forces me to do anything I don't want too... sometimes we watch movies and dinner has been him mostly... lately... and cleaning too.."  
"So Levi doesn't take you out much?"  
"For appointments or if he has court... but I don't want to be out there... I don't want to be stared at... or laughed at..."  
Levi hushed his mate   
"No ones staring at you, and if they are it's because of how beautiful and perfect you are"  
Eren began to cry properly  
"You're the only one who thinks that"  
"And I'm the only one who matters right?"  
Eren nodded and sniffled, Levi looked to the two women  
"What else would you like to know?"  
"We need to check Eren's surrounds, make sure he's in a safe place"  
"Sure, feel free to take a look around. Our bedrooms the one up the stairs, the door should be open and Eren's private bedroom is the one down the hall"  
Levi pointed over at the hallway under the stairs, both woman looked... maybe cautious and surprised that Levi was letting them look as they pleased. He already knew what angle they were going for. He never took Eren outside, forcing the teen to be dependent on him... or some shit. He'd love to take Eren outside, hell he'd settle for sitting out the back of the house in sun if Eren would allow it, but even on the grounds Eren didn't seem to feel safe so he didn't push it  
"I love you"  
Eren nodded   
"I know... I'm sorry... did I do alright?"  
"You were perfect, you can't go wrong if you tell the truth"  
Eren nodded  
"I had one of these with Reiner... just after we were told we couldn't have kids... I had to lie... I told them it was all alright... what if they think I'm lying now"  
"Honestly, I think they don't really give two fucks"  
Eren sniffled and moved so he was laying with his head in Levi's lap, Levi gently played with Eren's hair, its gotten long... he wondered if his mate liked it or was just too scared to ask to get it cut. 

It took the women forever to return to the living area, well that's what it felt like   
"And does Eren know the pin for the door?"  
"Which one?"  
"Both"  
"He knows the bedroom one, but if he wanted to know the front door I'd tell him"  
"What if you were home and there was a fire?"  
"The doors and windows disarm"  
"And what about stairs as the pregnancy progresses"  
"Then we'll use Eren's room if he wants or one of the spare rooms"  
"And what about your knives, Eren had easy access, aren't you scared about what could happen during an episode"  
"I trust him, he's not a kid, and I'm not going to insult him by locking things away and telling him no"  
"So you don't care that he could injure you or himself"  
"Eren isn't like that during an episode, it's mostly confusion not malicious intent"  
The woman pursed her lips together tighter  
"We need to take a blood sample too"  
"Hold on... what?"  
"To make sure you aren't drugging him"  
"Eren's already told you he's on sedatives"  
"Then that will show in the test, or are you refusing it"  
Eren held his arm out shakily, but his tone with the woman was almost uncharacteristically firm  
"Levi would never do anything like that"  
Even the director looked taken back for a minute. She popped open her bag and drew out a small kit. Eren watched her every move as she took 3 vials worth. Finally both women excused themselves and Levi walked them to the front door. He was polite as he thanked them for their concern over Eren's welfare and bid them both goodbye, but once the door was closed he wanted nothing more to scream over how idiotic both bitches were.

He return to Eren and Eren sighed deeply as Levi sat   
"What's wrong?"  
"I just remembered... I should have told them you took me to see mum..."  
"And I'll take as many times as you want as soon as I'm allowed to leave Trost again..."  
"Mhmm... that would be nice... but still... I should have told them"  
Levi hummed   
"Eren, it's alright if you don't want to tell me... but when we were shopping you got really scared. I didn't want to bring it up at the time and I kind of forgot about it until now... but do you remember why you were so scared?"  
The teen nodded and crawled into Levi's lap so he his legs were over Levi's left leg and his side was resting against the alphas chest  
"You probably don't remember the person who served us... the short blonde..."  
"Hmm..."  
"It's alright if you don't... he was my friend when I was growing up... I haven't had any friends since him"  
Levi bit down a sigh   
"You could have talked to him, I wouldn't have minded"  
"I doubt he would remember me, it's been years and I don't know what I would have said"  
Eren snuggled against him and Levi kissed his temple  
"You know, Hanji's your friend... and Erwin's your friend..."  
Eren shook his head  
"No... they just put up with me..."  
"That's not true, they like you and care about you..."  
"But what kind of a friend can I be when I don't even trust them..."  
He wasn't surprised that Eren didn't trust Erwin... but the fact he didn't trust Hanji...  
"Well, do you want to reach out to your old friends? I bet you were popular..."  
"Not really... no one wanted to play with an omega kid... they didn't understand... I didn't understand... but Armin didn't care..."  
Levi made a mental note to look into this Armin kid, while Eren continued to snuggle and nuzzle against him.

That night once Eren was finally sleeping, Levi used the time to pull out his phone, he felt like a total creep as he facebooked "Armin" and "Shinganshima", surprisingly enough a match came up and Levi opened up Armin's profile. He skimmed the kids page, apparently no one had told him about oversharing. In all his photos the blonde looked happy and Levi felt jealous for Eren, his omega deserved to be just as happy as his childhood friend. Still, he scrolled back up and sent the teen a message asking about Eren and if Armin remembered him or the family. He exited back to his own Facebook and scrolled through half heartedly. Out of curiosity he looked up Eren's name, nothing came up and he was slightly disappointed. Locking his phone he placed it down again and recurled around his mate.

*  
The morning he was due for Kenny's trial, he had his first real argument about Eren. The omega was angry that Levi wouldn't let him go with him to the courthouse and everything spiralled from there. Eren was still mad when Hanji showed up for Eren sitting duty, she'd be testifying on his behalf tomorrow. He really didn't want to leave things with Eren like this, but his mate refused to talk to him calmly, alternating between screaming and crying. He left the house feeling like a total wanker, he'd only wanted to keep Eren safe and he didn't trust Kenny not to pull something. Mr Smith picked up on his agitation, basically telling him to calm down or he'd be screwed. He spent the car ride to the courthouse silently brooding.

Walking in, Levi stopped in his tracks, he felt completely gut punched, Reiner Braun was sitting smugly behind Kenny and the man's lawyer. Levi looked to Mr Smith, but the man just gave a slight shake of his head, he obviously didn't know Reiner was out either. They stood for the formalities, he was slightly relieved to see the same judge as last time, but at the same time he wondered how Reiner could be free after the judge had ordered him to be detained. He nearly gagged as Kenny's lawyer painted the man as practically a living saint, he spoke of how shocked and upset he was over Kushel's death and how he'd spent years tracking Levi down and how he'd given Levi everything. The man could win gold for bullshitting, Levi could see the jury eating it up. Kenny even had the nerve to look at him and wink. Levi would have exploded it not for the fact that everything was hinging on him doing just the opposite. He kept telling himself he needed to keep calm for Eren.

Mr Smiths own opening argument was sickeningly sweet, but lacked the bull... mostly. He was straight up with the facts that Levi had lived on the streets after Kushel's death, even though he knew it would probably help his case, he hadn't told them that Kenny had tried to kill him, or about all the physical and emotional abuse the man had put him through. Instead he was trying to keep things in the hear and now and Mr Smith was happy enough to oblige. He talked about how Levi had been such an upstanding member of society, about his worth ethic and how he'd taken Eren in and was now happily bonded and the pair were expecting twins. The jury was clearly already interested due to the polar opposites of the opening statements. Given it was the first day, the witnesses called on by Kenny would be giving their statements first. Kenny himself was the first called and the man walked up to take the stand like he didn't have a care in the world. He then spent the better part of the next hour playing the worried uncle, he "blamed" himself for the way things had turned out. If only he'd been there for Levi more. If only he'd found his nephew a suitable mate. If only Levi hadn't found himself in such a situation. He basically tore the fuck out of Eren without even saying the omegas name. Kenny was less forthcoming when Mr Smith took over questioning. Apparently Erwin had taken it upon himself to get staff statements over the man's drunken antics at work. The look of smugness faded a little and his answers were curt and to the point, none of the eloquent drabble of before. As Kenny's lawyer had done, Mr Smith guided the man back through his alleged story of what happened. Kenny had said Levi had torn his clothes and he'd stagger from the house to collapse out the front. It seemed that Kenny hadn't even realised he'd been seen by Eren. This was immediately objected and then disregarded... but once a thought is planted... it's hard to dismiss from ones mind. Kenny was seething by the time he walked back to sit by his lawyer and Levi was quiet happy to see the cracks in the man's mask.

After Kenny came Grisha, and Levi felt his mouth go dry, the man practically stank of crazy. Kenny's lawyer apologised to the court, stating how after the loss of his wife he'd tried to kill himself and the resulting brain damage had meant he'd been in full time care since. The man said nothing about the fact he'd tried to kill Eren too. It took a little time to get Grisha talking about Eren, but when he did... he painted Eren as the most disgusting and vile thing he could think off. He blamed Eren for Carla's death, and cursed him every which way, in the end Levi was sure the man's ramblings did more to hurt Kenny's case then help. They were given a recess while Grisha was calmed and then Mr Smith was allowed to examine the man. The first point he went to was   
"Was Grisha ashamed of having an omega as a son"  
When the man said "yes", there were collective looks of disgust cast in his direction. The next point Mr Smith brought up was the overdose attempt, and how Eren, being only 10, had been too scared to take the pills had called for help for his father, despite everything the man had done. Grisha had become violently angry and once again they were dismissed on recess. Levi sat quietly in the hall, resisting the urge to message Hanji and ask about Eren. He felt sick from Grisha, he'd never deny Eren anything he wanted... except from seeing that man.

Given there was only one more witness to be called, the trial proceeded and the Director of K-Omega Facility took the stand. Kenny was smug to begin with, the woman talked about how Eren was an antisocial and problem omega, how he'd had trouble adjusting and all this other crap. This continued up until they came to the welfare visit. As soon as she brought this up Levi sat up a little straighter. He was under no illusion that the woman would be quiet happy to never see him or Eren again. But she actually spoke about how Eren seemed happy and well cared for, she naturally couldn't help herself as she brought up her concern over his access to things like knives given his episodes, but... and this must have hurt... admitted the teen was happy and healthy with Levi. Levi heard Kenny growl in obvious annoyance, once again it seemed things had backfired. Trying to make it seem like Eren was to blame for Levi's actions... just wasn't working for him at all.

*  
Eren and Hanji were seated in the living room, the second Levi walked in Eren rose and came to him, burying his face against Levi as he cried  
"How was he?"  
"Angry... and apparently you're out of ice cream..."  
Eren nodded against Levi and Levi laughed lightly  
"I missed you today"  
"I missed you too... how was it"  
"Long and boring, why don't we sit down and talk about it?"  
Eren let Levi guide him over to the sofa and then settle into his lap. Behind him Mr Smith and Erwin came in  
"I need a beer..."  
Levi snorted at Erwin's remark  
"I think we all need a beer"  
Erwin moved through to the kitchen and Eren buried his face against Levi, given he was shivering, Levi looked to Hanji  
"Can you pass me that blanket, he's cold"  
Hanji smiled as she handed the blanket over and Levi wrapped it around Eren   
"What happened...?"  
"Well. Kenny tried to be an arse, but he fucked that up"  
Erwin returned with beer and passed them out   
"Yeah?"  
"Your father was there..."  
Eren stiffened   
"He was?"  
"Yeah..."  
"How was he?"  
"Crazy, Kenny called him as a witness, but I don't think he realised how crazy Grisha is"  
Eren buried his head against Levi's neck, the omega whispered softly, asking if he could go to his room, Levi nodded and lifted him easily  
"I'll be back down in a minute"

Eren patiently waited until Levi sat him down before pulling the alpha in for a kiss   
"Was he really that bad?"  
Levi nodded  
"Yeah, I don't think he knew what he was talking about"  
Eren nodded sadly  
"Did... do you think I did the right thing?"  
"What do you mean?"  
"Calling for help... I didn't want him to die... I didn't want to be alone... so I called them..."  
"You did the right thing, you couldn't have known how things would turn out"  
"But... if he's suffering... it's my fault"  
"It's not your fault. I promise"  
Eren didn't look convinced at all  
"Do you want or need anything?"  
"I just want to be alone..."  
"That's fine, if you change your mind, come downstairs"  
Eren shook his head and Levi gave him a kiss before leaving.

Walking downstairs, the group was staring at him, Hanji, of course, broke the silence   
"Is he alright?"  
"Yeah, just wanted to be alone for a bit. He thinks he did the wrong thing calling for help with Grisha"  
Hanji nodded, she took a swig of her beer as Levi sat, he let out a loud groan and grabbed his own beer  
"What are you going to do tomorrow?"  
"With Eren? He'll be fine at home... it's better than having him listen through everything again and being stuck in a room with Reiner"  
"I don't think you should leave him alone"  
"Hanji, you weren't there today. They tore him to shreds"  
"But tomorrow shouldn't be too bad..."  
"I'll ask him what he wants to do, but if he'd been there today... he'd be a wreck right now"  
"I don't see how they can get away with that... this case is about you, not Eren"  
Mr Smith cleared his throat  
"They're trying to show that Eren is crazy enough to have been the one to attack Levi and that Levi's been influenced by Eren"  
Hanji pulled a face and Levi nodded   
"Yep, that's about how I feel. You should have heard them crapping on about Kenny"  
Levi drank deeply, but the taste of listening to Kenny's lies still stuck in the back of his throat. They talked for a few hours more and then Levi saw them out. 

*  
Eren didn't want to go to court the next morning. He hid under the blanket, a shaking mess. Levi struggled to leave him like that, but trying to comfort Eren was making things worse. He at least made sure his omega was comfortable and had taken his medication before leaving. There was a dull and heavy weight as in his stomach, he was feeling quietly optimistic about today, but that was lacking far behind his worry for Eren. He decided he was going to take Eren out for a drive when he got home, just so they could spend sometime together not in the house.

Levi was called first thing. Mr Smith made it easy for him to articulate the the points he wanted to make. He explained exactly what he remembered, not what he'd been told about after. The jury had looked horrified that he'd been in a coma for 8 days, while Kenny seemingly just went home. Kenny's lawyer brought up Eren, accusing the teen of attacking the alpha. Levi flat out denied, but as soon as Eren's episodes were brought up Levi began to lose his cool. He had trouble reining in his temper, he shook, his hands clenched until it was finally over. At least Reiner's smug face wasn't there today.

Erwin was called up next, he talked openly about the things he'd witnessed at work and Kenny's increasingly erratic antics. Naturally this didn't go over well with Kenny or his lawyer, and the man seemed annoyed that he was unable to rattle Erwin. After Erwin was Hanji, she lost and confused him with complicated medical jargon, and talked through the phone call from Eren and the fact the teen had been convinced Levi was dead for days. She worded it in such a way that even the most hardened of arseholes would have shed a tear. Kenny's lawyer went straight for her medical opinion on Eren, if he was violent or posed a threat to himself. Hanji paused before denying that Eren posed a harm, but that pause was like a stab to his heart. It was like screaming Eren was crazy. Kenny was more than happy when she stepped off the stand.

They broke for lunch and Levi tried calling Eren, he didn't get through and the sick dull feeling returned. Hanji volunteered to go check on Eren and Levi could have kissed her, he knew it was her way of apologising for her fuck up. She promised to call when she'd checked on Eren. It was a good half hour drive, so they'd be scraping it close time wise, but still she left and Levi spent lunch staring down at his phone. He was just about to walk back in when Hanji called, the phone fell from his hand. Eren wasn't home.


	16. Chapter 16

The world span as he sank to the floor. He couldn't think. He couldn't breath. He was numb, completely numb. How could Eren not be at home? Maybe Hanji hadn't found him... the teen had to be hiding, that's what it had to be. Shaking he picked up the dropped phone, the call had disconnected and it took him a couple of attempts to call Hanji back, she answered immediately   
"What... do you mean... he's not home?"  
His heart was racing and he had to force his words out of his constricted throat  
"I've called his name, I've checked the house... but Levi, the door was open..."  
"No... no... he has to be there..."  
Hanji was verging on hysterics  
"I'm telling you he isn't. Is there anywhere he'd go? Anyone he'd talk to"  
"He... he has no friends... he wouldn't just leave..."  
He felt someone pulling him up and he growled in warning  
"Levi, we need to head back in"  
Levi growled again, baring his teeth   
"I'm not going back in there. I need to go..."  
"You can't just take off"  
Levi pushed the phone at Erwin, Mr Smith grabbed his arm as he began to stalk off  
"Levi, what's going on?"  
"Eren's missing. I need to go. I need to find him"  
"What do you mean Eren's missing?"  
"I mean he's not at fucking home"  
Levi yanked his arm from Mr Smiths hold   
"Erwin will go, we'll try for a recess until tomorrow. But it doesn't guarantee anything"  
Mr Smith took his arm firmly and forced him from the room, Erwin was still on the phone to Hanji. Levi wanted to scream, everyone was acting too calm. His blood was boiling. Didn't anyone else give a fuck about his pregnant mate?!

Mr Smith forced him into the courtroom and Kenny turned to face him, the man was smiling widely and Levi felt a shiver run down his spine. He was hit by the realisation. Kenny had something to do with this. Mr Smith pushed him on gently, they both stood behind the desk as Mr Smith explained the circumstances of their late return. Kenny's lawyer automatically began to spin this as Levi running scared, or perhaps as an admission of Eren's guilt. Both lawyers were called to approach the judge and Levi forced himself to hold the desk, it was either that or beating Kenny to a blood pulp. Fortunately for his uncle, the trial was recessed until the following morning and Levi bolted from the courtroom. He hailed the first taxi he could, the driver obviously confused by the rush of words pouring from his mouth as he tried to tell the man his address and to hurry. It was still a ridiculously long time to be trapped practically alone with anger and worry. When they arrived he pulled all the cash from his wallet, basically throwing at the man as he rushed out and over to where Hanji was standing with Erwin  
"Levi..."  
Levi stormed past them, not wanting to believe it. He called Eren's name as he marched from room to room, but as Hanji said, there was no sign of his mate. He let out a roar and Hanji, who'd been approaching, stepped back  
"Levi... he's not here..."  
"I know. It was Kenny. I fucking know it. You should have seen him. You should have seen the look he gave"  
"But Kenny was at the courthouse all day"  
"Reiner wasn't"  
"Wait... you think what? That Reiner and Kenny are working together? The Braun's literally just tried to sue you for slander"  
"Yeah and I through what Reiner did to Eren in their faces! This is my fault!"  
"Levi, he could have left on his own..."  
"He wouldn't, he was a mess this morning, he took his meds... but wouldn't get out of bed... I'm so fucking stupid. This is my fault. He could be anywhere"  
Hanji stepped towards him, but the look in his eye must have screamed at her to stop  
"You need to calm down"  
"I can't calm down..."  
Levi stalked away from his friends. He didn't even know where to start looking. Kenny had all the resources in the world at his disposal... Eren had had value before everything went down... now he was carrying Levi's children... Kenny wouldn't stand for that... but neither would Reiner... he growled at the the stool between him and the breakfast bench, picking it up with one hand, he tossed it as hard as he could, it thudded to the ground but he felt no better.

At some point Mr Smith had arrived, from the corner of his eye, Levi could see the looks of concern and pity directed his way. They seemed to think him crazy... but they didn't understand... frustrated with their apparent lack of care, Levi snatched his keys out the kitchen draw, and Erwin was yanking them from his hand before he even got out the kitchen  
"Erwin! Give me my fucking keys!"  
"Levi, you need to calm down"  
Levi shoved Erwin as hard as he could, his friend fell back landing solidly on the floor, he moved over his friend, reaching for the keys, while panting hard with anger   
"Levi. Look, we are all worried about Eren"  
"Bullshit! You don't give a fuck! You're probably happy he's gone!"  
Before he knew what happened, Hanji had slapped him hard across the face, she reached down and helped Erwin up  
"We get it, you're worried and we are too. But you can't just take off. We need to think about this"  
He shook, unexpected tears came to his eyes, the mental images of what Reiner could be doing to his mate...   
Hanji came to his side and she held him as he practically collapsed onto her  
"I... don't know what to do..."  
"I know..."  
Hanji guided him to the sofa, he shook with fear and anger but the tears wouldn't stop. He was so scared for his mate...   
"So there's no where Eren would go?"  
Levi shook his head  
"He doesn't drive... I offered to teach him... but he doesn't trust himself..."  
"Where does he go when he has an episode?"  
"He hides... usually in the walk-in-robes or the bathroom..."  
"So he doesn't leave the house?"  
"He doesn't know the front door code"  
"Well someone had too..."  
"Kenny always did, I never knew how, but he always found his way in... no matter how many times I'd change it"  
Hanji nodded  
"Ok... so you think Reiner took him?"  
"You didn't see the smile on Kenny's face... and Reiner wasn't in court... I don't even know how he got out"  
Mr Smith's voice cut through the room  
"His bail was posted, I wasn't even told about the arraignment"  
"I bet it was Kenny"  
"He's going to get away with it all over again"  
"No he's not, we aren't going to let that happen"  
"But we don't know where he'd take him"  
"Did Eren ever mention where he lived... when he was with Reiner?"  
"I never asked... I never wanted to force him to remember"  
"Do either of you have any idea?"  
Levi looked up, Mr Smith was doing something on his phone and Erwin shook his head  
"That was all redacted"  
"The facility would know... but... they detest Eren..."  
Hanji nodded  
"Let me call, I'll call in my capacity as Eren's doctor"  
Hanji let him go and he watched as she stood and moved away, his friend pulled her phone out   
"K-Omega Facility right?"  
Levi nodded  
"Yeah"  
He clenched and unclenched his hands as Hanji raised the phone to her ear, it was a long few minutes until she finally hung up  
"They said it wasn't in there records"  
Levi growled, his anger surging back up  
"They don't give a fuck. If Eren's dead, then all the shit they did to him just goes away"  
"What about Reiner's current address?"  
"He's living with his family"  
"And his mate? Bertholdt?"  
Erwin frowned at him  
"You think he'd be involved?"  
"You heard what Reiner's mother said. They'd been best mates since they were kids..."  
Erwin nodded slowly  
"I'll search for Bertholdt's address... but if Reiner's working for Kenny, he could be using any one of the Ackerman properties"  
Levi growled  
"Don't you think I know that"  
His friend let out a sigh and pulled out his phone. He was more than likely remote accessing the list of business associates on the computers at Headquarters.

"I have the address, but they aren't there. The property was demolished last year and it now a bakery"  
Levi's heart couldn't take it. He struggled to breathe. Hanji moved back to his side   
"Levi, I need you to take deep breaths for me. You'll be no good to Eren if you meltdown"  
Levi glared, he was already trying to take deep breaths, but doing so, he realised everything smelt of Eren and it set him off again  
"I can't be here. I need to go... I can't sit still"  
Levi stumbled up, Hanji tried to push him back down, but he stood his ground  
"I'll take him, I've got Bertholdt's address"  
"I should come with you, in case..."  
Levi shook his head  
"I need you here... just... just in case..."  
Just in case by some miracle Eren showed back up here under his own steam... Hanji nodded and Erwin put his hand on Levi's shoulder, guiding him into the garage, Levi didn't even think to say anything to Mr Smith, he'd forgotten him the second Erwin had said he had Bertholdt's address.

*  
Bertholdt live on towards the outskirts of Trost, it was the kind of place you'd expect someone to hole up, which is why he didn't expect to find them there. Erwin walked beside him up to the front door, Levi had to bite his lip to keep from exploding impatiently. Bertholdt seemed surprised when he opened the door to the pair of them. Levi had to take half a step back and leave Erwin to do the talking. He couldn't trust himself. Bertholdt said he hadn't seen Reiner since the party, Levi was sure he was lying. A growl rose from his throat, but Bertholdt growled back, holding his own. Levi would have laughed about the omega growling if the situation hadn't been about Eren. Erwin quickly asked the man about places Reiner would go, but other then home, Bertholdt had no idea. Still, his friend managed to get Reiner's number from the man, before thanking him and the pair moved back to the car. Levi was struck with the realisation that he didn't even bother trying to call Eren. He hadn't thought of it. His mind had just jumped to the worst. He pulled his phone out and called his mate. It rang twice before the call ended  
"We can trace Eren's phone right?"  
"Eren has a phone?"  
Levi nodded quickly  
"I didn't even think to call him... but just now, it definitely rang"  
Erwin swore   
"If he didn't have it on silent..."  
Levi groaned in response, he could have made things much worse for his mate. Still. Erwin did something he hadn't expected. He called the police, Levi was livid, but Erwin filled them in and he was forced to hold his tongue. Despite everything they'd said about Eren not being a danger to himself, that was the image Erwin painted to the police on the phone. Unable to stomach it, he exited the car and began to walk, he'd only made it 3 blocks before Erwin pulled over  
"Get back in, we'll go back to your house and see if they've heard anything"  
Levi nodded and he felt his phone begin to vibrate. He snatched it out his pocket, Eren's name on the ID, sliding it across he placed a finger to his lips and the phone to his ear. The voices on the other end were muffled, like when someone pocket dials. He walked around to the passenger side and climbed into the car. Listening closely, trying to pick up anything at all  
"It's Eren"  
Levi mouthed to Erwin and placed the phone on speaker. The muffled voices came through and they both leant in to listen, but then a loud crack came through and a whimper. The call dropped and Levi looked to Erwin   
"Police. We're going to see the police"  
Levi hit redial, but the call wouldn't go through, no matter how many times he pushed call.

*  
Arriving at the station, Erwin did the talking yet again. He filled them in on the phone call and Levi passed his phone over without hesitation. He desperately hoped they could get something out of it. They asked all the necessary questions, but all it did was frustrate Levi to no fucking end. No one knew how long Eren had been missing, he gave Eren's number over, as well as the carrier details from when he'd set the phone up. He felt so stupid not thinking of calling Eren sooner...

Levi and Erwin were asked to wait in a small visitors room, false cheerfulness filled the room, but left Levi cold. Erwin took the time to fill Hanji in on it all, the woman insisted on coming down and joining them, but Levi shook his head, his nerves couldn't take it. He kept his face buried in his hands, replaying this morning over and over, the way Eren had shook as he hid, the sad look in Eren's green eyes... god... he prayed with all he could that Eren would be alright. Erwin shook his as two officers walked in, the female officer laid a large piece of paper across the table and Levi realised it was a map  
"Do you know why the call came from here?"  
Levi examined the map, it was a fucking dot in the middle of nowhere, he began to shake his head  
"Levi, that's where the cabin is..."  
Erwin's voice was soft   
"You know this place?"  
"My parents own a cabin there"  
"And would Eren go there alone?"  
Levi shook his head furiously   
"No. No he wouldn't. He doesn't drive"  
"Would someone drive him?"  
"No, he doesn't really have any friends"  
The woman pursed her lips   
"We've contacted the local police to head out and take a look..."  
Levi groaned and she looked to him for explanation   
"They don't exactly like Eren or me. I was arrested by them and I tried to explain about Eren's mental health... they pulled out their guns before heading back into the cabin to retrieve him. They think he's crazy..."  
The woman frowned   
"Are you saying you believe they won't conduct their jobs properly?"  
"I'm saying they don't give two fucks"  
"We can send our own agents, but that's a 5 hour drive..."  
Levi opened his mouth  
"Levi, you can't leave Trost. It's a condition of you bail"  
"I can't do nothing... anything could be happening..."  
Levi hung his head, his eyes on the spot the woman had tapped. Trust Kenny to ruin something else for the pair of them  
"Please... I can't do nothing..."  
He sounded so pathetic he hardly recognised his own voice   
"Look, I'll call dad, but I don't think he can do anything to help"  
"Please..."  
Erwin moved away and Levi heard him talking on the phone. A few seconds Erwin moved back to his side  
"Even if he contacts the judge, you won't be able to make it there and back before court tomorrow morning"  
Levi's knees gave out. He was so fucking close...  
"Sir?"  
"Please send someone, as he said, the police are personally biased against him and his mate"  
The woman nodded, she and her partner left and Levi stayed where he'd slumped  
"Erwin... I can't lose him... or them... I don't care if I'm being selfish... but I need him..."  
Erwin let out a long breath   
"Wanna do something crazy and illegal?"  
Levi looked up towards his friend  
"Don't joke about things like that"  
"I'm not. I'm sure we can get there faster than the police"  
"What do we tell them?"  
"That you need to go home... and to keep us updated... and I don't really know"  
"That makes a change"  
Erwin offered him a tight lipped smile and helped Levi up. Once again he left the talking to Erwin, he stated that Levi was falling apart, and he was going to take him home, the woman was sympathetic, promising to send someone over as soon as they knew something.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo my phone went flat and then I went to sleep... but here it is... take a deep breath and prepare for feels xx

Erwin seemed to think that by breaking one law, he might as well break a few more... not that Levi minded in the slightest, he couldn't stop fidgeting as his friend drove, more than once he'd looked up to find headlights of oncoming vehicles uncomfortably close before Erwin would swerve back into the correct lane. Once again he was seeing another side of his friend, and despite his anxiousness over Eren, he found himself realising even though he valued Erwin's friendship, he'd taken it for granted that the man would just appear each time he needed a friend. He felt like an arse, but that feeling soon passed again and he was staring down at his phone as he waited for any news at all.

Erwin made it to the cabin in an impressive 4 hours, it would have been less, he'd slowed right down once they'd hit the gravel road through to the cabin and then cut the lights completely before stopping a few hundred metres away from the place. Levi rushed from the car, he jogged down along the drive, forcing himself to remain at a steady pace, it was no use showing up to rescue Eren only to be short of breath and exhausted. The lights of the cabin were off, there was no sign of anyone being there and Levi looked to Erwin, he gave a small nod and the pair continued forward, walking as quietly as the gravel allowed. Erwin pulled his phone out and shone the flashlight over the gravel  
"Someone was here"  
"We know that, the call came from here"  
"Put your phone on silent. It'll do no good if we sneak in only to have our phones going off"  
Levi snorted  
"You know, I'm pretty sure we're both jobless, I think you could really make a go of this career criminal thing"  
Erwin shook his head  
"Nooo, I'll leave that to you. Now put the damn thing on silent"  
Levi did as Erwin said and then the pair began creeping back up toward the cabin. Levi shook his head  
"You would think they'd know how to close a door"  
The backdoor was wide open and Erwin grabbed his arm, he turned the torch back on and shone it towards the door  
"Do we go in? Or do we follow the footprints?"  
"Cabin first..."  
Levi took the lead, he took a moment to realise how stupid he must look, sneaking around in a business suit and $1,300 dollar dress shoes. He stepped carefully up to the door, sticking his head inside, he took a deep breath, there was traces of Eren's smell, but it was extremely faint and he couldn't be sure it wasn't lingering from when they'd stayed. He slipped inside, having to turn his flashlight on after walking into the wall  
"You take upstairs..."  
Levi didn't need telling twice, he stalked up the stairs as silently as they allowed, heading down to the office first and working his way back. The smell of piss hit him when he opened the door to Erwin's old room, he shone the light over the single bed, his eyes landing on the wet patch across the mattress. He placed his fingers against it, it was slightly damp, but had sunk into the fabric for the most part. He wiped his fingers on his pants before heading back downstairs, Erwin was waiting for him   
"He's been here"  
"How do you know"  
"Someone pissed your old bed... unless it was you..."  
"And that leads you to believe it's Eren"  
"Ok, seriously, you've seen him wet himself before..."  
Erwin nodded  
"Follow the footprints?"  
Levi nodded, he lead the way out the backdoor.

Levi kept his phone trained on the prints until they disappeared into the leaf litter, he let out a distressed growl  
"Now what!"  
Erwin flicked his own phone flashlight back on, he swept a wide arc  
"Can you smell anything?"  
Levi sniffed  
"No, just fucking nature"  
Erwin spun a slow circle, Levi could practically see his mind whirling   
"You go left, I'll go right"  
Levi nodded and began to walk, he tried to keep a straight path, but fallen trees made that hard. He stumbled over yet another fallen branch, glaring at it before continuing on  
"Levi!"  
He jumped as Erwin's voice echoed through the darkness, the woods around him seemed to shrink and he shivered in response. With his heart pounding, he made his way towards where he'd parted from him friend. He made it back to the foot prints and then took a right, hoping it would take him towards his friend. He wasn't sure how long he walked until he came across Erwin, his friend was leaning against a tree and Levi over over cautiously   
"What is it?!"  
Erwin pointed over towards a fallen tree and Levi shone his phone in that direction, some kind of dark lump was just on the edge of the lights arc and he moved towards it. His eyes widened. Bertholdt was laying there, half the back of his head was missing. Levi reeled back from the sight, he backed up until he bumped into Erwin   
"He must have contacted Reiner straight after we left"  
"Stupid bastard. Have you called the police?"  
"No reception..."  
"We can't just leave him"  
Erwin nodded  
"We won't. But we need to find Eren..."  
Levi nodded, he felt like he would vomit if he opened his mouth, and he bit down on his lip to keep his mouth shut. As they walked his eyes flicked around, he couldn't help the rising paranoia... and in his head he was trying to do the math. He had no idea how Bertholdt could have gotten up here so fast... they weren't that long at the police station... surely not long enough... but they had to have been... he shone his phone out again, something caught the edge of the light and he moved towards it. A small pile of rocks sat over a mound, his stumbled as he rushed over to it, Erwin right behind him. Desperately he began to tear at the ground, while Erwin moved the rocks. Neither man spoke, Levi was bordering on hysterics when finally his fingers hit something, some kind of bag, he tore at it, while Erwin worked to clear around it. His lovers face came into view and Levi let out a choked howl, he fell back shaking, before leaning to the left and vomiting. He'd failed... he'd failed his lover... the world seemed to be spinning, even though he wasn't moving, he could hear his own heartbeat   
"Levi!"  
He looked up blankly at Erwin   
"Levi, he's alive... there's a pulse, it's weak but it's there"  
His eyes widened and he threw himself forward, Erwin was working on clearing more dirt off of Eren, but Levi reached straight for Eren's face, he brushed the dirt away carefully   
"Levi, come on, we need to get him out and get out of here"  
He nodded as he moved away, pulling piles of dirt away, he was terrified about what was hidden in the ground. What if they'd done something to him? What if he'd miscarried... what if he never recovered from this... his tears fell thick and fast until they finally uncovered enough of the unconscious omega to pull him free. The smell of piss hit his senses and he growled. Erwin had enough sense to back off and let Levi lift Eren. He nuzzled against his mates neck and apologised over and over. He saw Erwin doing something and he was confused as to what   
"Photos. We need photos... and we need to know how to direct the police back here"  
Levi could believe that Erwin could keep his head. Eren could die... but at the same time he understood. Everything connected to Eren's abuse seemed to vanish into thin air, they needed their own evidence. He didn't wait for his friend, instead he made his way straight towards where the cabin lay.

*  
Walking into the cabin, he flicked the lights on, not giving two fucks about anyone out there. He laid Eren in the middle of the lounge room floor, his fingers still shaking as he once again checked for a pulse. Having found on he let out a small moan and hurried to call for help. His words were muddled as he tried to explain he needed the police and an ambulance. The man on the line wanted hi to stay connected, but he placed the phone down and started looking Eren over. Around his neck was the sign of bruising, and there was a puncture mark in the crook of Eren's left arm. He snarled at the thought of what Eren had gone through without himself cursed himself for leaving his mate home this morning. It was all his fault, he'd done this to Eren. Once again he pulled back from Eren, drawing his knees to his chest as he sobbed bitterly. He didn't even hear Erwin come in behind him, he didn't hear his friend moving around the house, he only registered Erwin's presence when the blonde covered Eren's form with a thick blanket. He couldn't stop the tears. He hadn't even cried this much when his mother had died. Erwin sat beside him, slinging an arm over his shoulder  
"Did you call for an ambulance?"  
His voice was rough as he replied  
"And police... God... what a mess..."  
He felt Erwin nod  
"Why don't you hold his hand?"  
Levi shook his head quickly   
"I... I don't deserve too.. this is all my fault"  
"No it's not and you know that"  
"He begged me... he... he wanted me to leave it all alone... but I couldn't... I fucking couldn't. I swore to him... that nothing bad would happen..."  
Erwin hushed him, holding him until sirens filled the night.

The ambulance arrived before the police, he shook as they worked on Eren. He couldn't find his voice as they asked him questions about what happened and he also couldn't let Eren out of his sight, no matter how hard the man tried to get him to focus. Erwin told him to go with Eren, saying he'd stay and wait for the police, Levi felt awful that his friend would have to once again see Bertholdt's body... but given how much the police hated him, it was probably for the best.

He finally took Eren's hand again as the rode in the back of the ambulance, he found himself wrapped in a silver shock blanket, and didn't fight the paramedics ministerings. He was so fucking numb.

Arriving at the small country hospital, Eren was taken away immediately and he was taken to another room. His vitals were taken and they confirmed all his details, he pushed his phone towards the nurse, he didn't even know how he'd wound up with it back in his possession, he told the woman to call Hanji, that she was both his and his mates doctor. The nurse took the phone and told him to rest. He didn't want to rest... but exhaustion forced his eyes closed. Eren's form flashed through his mind and he jumped from the bed, discarding the blanket on it as he began to pace. Angry at himself, he lashed out, he punched into the wall over and over, not caring about the blood or his split knuckles. When the nurse returned she rushed to his side, telling him to stop. He didn't want to scare anyone... he didn't want to hurt anyone else... it was him he hated and his hands fell to his sides. She lead him back to bed and got him seated before she started cleaning up his hands  
"Your mates in good hands..."  
"But... god... he... and the twins..."  
He watched the woman work, wondering if he should be feeling anything?  
"I know we must seem pretty backwards, but he's getting the best care we can give"  
Levi nodded, there was nothing else he could do. Once the woman had finished with his hands, she asked him to wait a moment and disappeared. He waited... and waited... and when she came back she was smiling   
"I've just been down with your mate, your twins are fine, it seemed he was dosed with some kind of sedative which prevented them from going into distress"  
Levi knew she was dumbing it down for him but he still smiled  
"Really?"  
"Yeah... we'll be transferring him up to Trost later this morning"  
Levi nodded   
"When... when can I see him?"  
"Once they're done, he'll be transferred into this room, we don't want to keep you two apart"  
"Thank you..."  
She smiled gently   
"I don't suppose you'll lay down and get some rest for me?"  
Levi shook his head  
"I can't..."  
"Do you want something? It's more than likely your mate won't wake up before the transfer goes through..."  
"Do you know what time that will be?"  
The woman hummed   
"Given he's pregnant, it'll be first thing... which means about 7:30"  
"Can I go with him?"  
The woman nodded and he let out a long breath  
"I'm sorry about the wall"  
The woman's eyes widened and she laughed  
"Don't worry, if it was my mate, I'm sure I'd do the same. But you really should rest"  
"I can't... I can't get Eren out of my head..."  
"Do you want a sedative?"  
Levi shook his head, his mind was already racing forward to later this morning. If he could get to Trost... and if Hanji could pick him up...   
"Ok, well please try and rest, your mate will need you..."  
"Thank you..."  
"Krista, my names Krista"  
Levi held out his bandaged hand  
"Thank you, Krista"

Despite his struggles his eyes would begin to slide shut, only to fly open at the slightest sound. The police came to talk to him and he told them everything he knew about what had happened at the cabin. It was the same morons as last time and in the end Krista stepped in and asked them to leave. Neither officer seemed happy about it, but didn't argue. It was soon after that Eren was wheeled in, an IV ran into his right arm, and he looked painfully pale. He waited until Eren was completely set up, before slipping from his bed and climbing in with Eren, he placed one hand on his mates swell, tears forming when he felt movement inside. He didn't deserve to feel this happy, not when he knew Eren would be more broken than before.

*   
Krista woke him, informing him gently they needed to prepare Eren for transfer, he slowly slid from Eren's bed and he had a feeling she was the reason he'd been left to sleep with his unconscious mate. He wiped the sleep from his burning eyes, he felt so craptastic he didn't know how he was supposed to face going to court after they arrived in Trost. Looking over, his eyes landed on Erwin, his friend was sleeping on his deserted bed, the man looked a wreck and he supposed he must look as bad, Krista gently lead him from the room and sat him in one of the outdated chairs in the hall  
"Do you want a coffee? I can't promise it's any good..."  
"A coffee, hot shower and to curl up with Eren for about a year... is what I want, but since you're offering, I'd love a coffee"  
Krista smiled  
"Well, and mind you, I shouldn't be doing this, but it'll take a while for Eren to be prepared and then transferred to the helicopter, so... follow me..."  
Levi eyed her, but followed her anyway, he wondered if this came back to coffee... surely she won't be in trouble over something like that. Ye woman pushed her way into a "Staff Only" area and then took an immediate left  
"This is the staff showers, to be honest, you're such a mess we shouldn't have let you sleep next to Eren, but it's proven that close proximity of the alpha can help with pregnant omegas. So take a shower and I'll find you something to wear"  
Levi could have hugged the tiny blonde, instead he thanked her and moved inside. The room had two cubicles, he chose the one closet to the door and shut the door behind him. He was surprised to see three disperses near the shower head, clearly labeled body wash, shampoo and conditioner. That certainly solved the problem of what he was going to do for soap. He turned the taps until hot water sprayed down and then stripped. Krista was right, he was gross. He folded his clothes neatly and stepped under the water, enjoying the feeling against his tense body. He spent a little longer than intended thoroughly scrubbing every inch and when he turned the taps of Krista called out  
"Levi, I've got a towel here and some scrubs, they might be a bit big..."  
He unlocked the door and stuck his hand out, Krista basically shoved the items into his hand and Levi wondered if the woman was blushing, like he had the suspicion she was.

Once dried and dressed, he eased his dress shoes back on. It felt gross having the same socks and underwear on against clean skin, but he scolded himself for such thoughts, he unlocked the door and Krista beamed  
"You look much more human, your friend "Erwin"? Is awake now, we should grab coffee for him too"  
Levi followed the woman into a small staff room and made two coffees, it was basically a sludge, but he didn't care... it's only purpose was to help him stay awake.

Erwin was sitting on the bed when they returned, Levi pushed a coffee cup into his hand and Erwin eyed it before grimacing with the first sip, Eren had already been moved and Levi was forcing himself to trust Krista, but his alpha wasn't happy about it  
"When'd you get here?"  
"Sometime around 2:30, I had to show them to Bertholdt... and then to..."  
Levi nodded quickly, he didn't want to hear the words "Eren's Grave"  
"How's Eren?"  
Levi sighed deeply  
"He's physically fine and so are the twins, they dosed him with a sedative so that prevented them from becoming distressed... I just hope they dosed him early on..."  
Erwin nodded  
"He's fucking lucky, air must have caught around his mouth, given the shallow breathing from a slow heart rate... that's all I can put it down too"  
Levi nodded, he really couldn't cope with thinking about that  
"Can we not..."  
His words were low and he stared at the floor  
"Yeah, sorry. That's on me. I heard them say he's being transferred?"  
"Yeah, Krista... the short blonde from before says he'll be helicoptered to Trost soon... I'm going with him..."  
Erwin nodded  
"That's good, dad should be able to swing something... maybe..."  
"I'll still make the trial, provided traffic isn't horrible"  
Erwin's eyebrows rose   
"Your intending to go"  
"I can't go ending up in jail... not when Eren needs me more than ever and I want to see Kenny's face when I walk in"  
"But what about Eren?"  
"I was hoping you could call Hanji, see if she can swing something, take him into her care and maybe get me some clothes?"  
Erwin laughed lightly   
"You've got it all planned out, don't you?"  
Levi shook his head  
"I wouldn't say that, but I'm trying to do what's best for Eren..."  
"You know, you've always been a stubborn bastard, but he's been good for you in a way. You're not as cold and unapproachable as before"  
"And yet I still expect you to help me out... if this experience has taught me anything it's that I'm a shit alpha and an even shittier friend"  
Erwin drained the last of his coffee tasting sludge   
"I'm going to call Hanji, something I wouldn't do if you were such a shit person"  
Erwin moved off the bed and Levi sat on the edge, he really needed to thank Krista again for all she'd done, he hadn't even notice initially that she'd left. He stared down at his basically ruined shoes, he wondered if he'd get in trouble with Mr Smith over them... and then he wondered why his thoughts were so organised... especially when his heart was pounding over waiting to be allowed to see his mate and his alpha was clawing at the back of his brain. He sat there scolding himself until Erwin came back  
"Hanji's going to meet you at the helicopter, she said she'll leave her keys in her car and a change of clothes for you in the back, and that you owe her a really fancy dinner for all of this"  
"I owe both of you a life time of dinners..."  
Levi felt stupid the moment the words came out his mouth, but Erwin still gave him a smile  
"I've got to meet with the police at the cabin, will you be alright?"  
"Shouldn't I be asking you that?"  
"Well... they like me better than you... except for maybe the Trost police, they showed up after you left and I may have gotten into a fair bit of trouble for it..."  
"Fuck..."  
"Oh, its not like I was arrested, but severely cautioned... and then some"  
Levi looked as there was a small knock on the door  
"Levi, it's time in go"  
Levi nodded, he left his clothes with Erwin and followed Krista through the hospital, a small heli-pad backed the building, a staff member was waiting for him, but he gave Krista a quick hug, much to the surprise of both of them  
"I really can't thank you enough"  
Krista smiled  
"It's alright, it was nice meeting you... I wish you and Eren well... oh and the twins of course"  
Levi nodded and moved away from her, he followed the staffer over and into the helicopter, sitting close to Eren.

Upon arrival Hanji was waiting, she rushed to Eren's side, totally disregarding Levi and Levi finally felt some of the tension in his shoulders lift. Hanji would do her best and then some for his mate, still he moved to Eren's side and pushed a kiss on the teens lips, Hanji cleared her threat and he nodded, he did his best not to get lost as he descended through the hospital and down to the car park. He found Hanji's care easily, the elevator doors had opened directly opposite and he jogged over, yanking the back door before pulling out the clothes she'd left for him. He didn't give a damn who was looking as he stripped in the car park, she'd been considerate enough to pack underwear and socks and another pair of shoes. He could have kissed her if she'd been there. Once changed he threw the clothes he'd been wearing into the car and then climbed behind the driver's seat. She'd left the keys in the ignition and he shook his head, this was an $50,000 dollar car, true it wasn't much to some, but Hanji had worked hard for it and she was kind enough to leave it unlocked where anyone could steal it. He forced himself to concentrate and soon was driving towards the courthouse.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had the struggles, it was raining here today, perfect weather for napping

Thanks to traffic Levi was late, he jogged up the steps and into the courthouse, heading straight to the room where the proceedings were taking place, he paused for moment as the security guard opened the door and then plunged into the room feeling all eyes on him the moment he did. He rushed up to Mr Smiths side  
"How nice of you to join us Mr Ackerman"  
The judge sounded annoyed and Levi stood a little straighter, Kenny's lawyer naturally had to prod  
"I trust you had a good reason for keeping us all waiting..."  
"Yes, sorry your honour"  
Levi cast a glance to Kenny, the man was unbelievably smug as he grinned in his direction, Levi kept his uncle in the corner of his eye  
"Well Mr Ackerman, are you going to tell us or continue holding up proceedings"  
Levi took the judges chance   
"Last night an associate of my uncles was found murdered"  
Murmurs broke out throughout the room and Kenny's smile dropped a little, the judge frowned as he called for silence  
"Well Mr Ackerman you do lead a busy life, I was under the impression that your tardiness was in relation to your mate"  
"It was sir, he was kidnapped"  
The judge frowned further. Kenny's lawyer was whispering furiously with the man and once again the judge called for silence   
"And was he found?"  
Kenny's lawyer stood  
"Surely this is all irrelevant to the case your honour"  
"Not at all, it shines a light on Mr Ackerman's character. Despite all the circumstances, he made it here"  
"He was late"  
The lawyer sounded like a little kid as he came back to that point  
"I repeat, was your mate found"  
"Yes your honour, buried alive in a shallow grave"  
Levi looked to Kenny, the man had paled  
"Given the issues now raised, I would like to as for a day's recess"  
Mr Smith's voice carried over the whispers in the room, Kenny's lawyer naturally objected over the relevance. Levi had wanted to stir up trouble and that he had. Everyone in the courtroom was no doubt wondering about the connection between Levi being late and Kenny, after all he could have played it all down, but now they were left to wonder if Kenny was behind everything  
"The jury will be instructed to disregard Mr Ackerman's statements. We will have a brief recess while I ascertain the validity of the defendants claims"  
It was Levi's turn to look to Kenny smugly, he couldn't help but give the man a small wave as his lawyer lead him out. Mr Smith didn't seem as thrilled by the display as Levi was, still they left the courtroom and headed into a small private waiting room. A few minutes later Mr Smith was called to the judges chambers and Levi was left alone. It'd barely been 20 minutes since he'd walked in and now Kenny would have to know he knew. Reiner hadn't been absent and Levi couldn't help but wonder if the man was still alive. He pulled his phone from his pocket, the device was flat and he glared at in annoyance, it was probably for the best, if anything had happened to Eren... he choked on the wave of emotion that hit him. Kenny was literally a few metres away from him, but... he couldn't do anything... he could only fight for Eren with words even though his split knuckles ached to beat the ever living fuck from his uncle. Mr Smith returned, he sat across from Levi   
"The judge has given us 4 hours... after that the trial will proceed. I know you think Kenny was involved, so now is the time we need evidence"  
"Then we need to see Eren. I have no idea what happened to his clothes or anything and..."  
"That was the plan"  
Mr Smith cut him off before he could go there. They rose and Mr Smith lead Levi out to his car.

*  
The woman at hospital reception looked up Eren's room for them, she frowned apparently he wasn't allowed visitors even if it was his mate. Levi ground his teeth, allowing Mr Smith to explain that they needed to talk to his treating doctor rather than Eren himself. The woman didn't seem happy as she picked up the phone and dialled through, Levi had resist leaning over the counter as she talked, to whom he assumed to be Hanji. Finally she placed down the phone and looked up at him   
"She said to meet on the 9th floor"  
The woman looked down at her computer and Mr Smith started towards the elevator and Levi followed. 

Hanji met them at the elevator, the woman looked rushed of her feet, but happy enough to see them  
"Levi! Aren't you supposed to be in court!?"  
"He made quite the entry and now we're on recess until 12:30"  
Hanji nodded  
"I'm not surprised, lets go take a seat, there's some things we need to talk about before you see Eren..."  
Hanji sounded sad and Levi's heart sunk  
"Is he awake?"  
"No, not yet, come with me and we'll talk about it"  
Hanji took his hand and began to lead him through to the visitors lounge, Mr Smith hovered near the doorway, Levi looked up in confusion  
"Aren't you coming in?"  
"I thought you might need some privacy"  
Levi shook his head  
"It's fine, Eren will understand"  
Mr Smith came over and sat somewhat stiffly at the table and Hanji sighed  
"People can't even do there jobs properly. They didn't even look for trace evidence before cleaning him down last night and even then they did a piss poor job"  
Levi growled and Hanji nodded  
"I gave him a full examination..."  
Hanji paused taking a deep breath  
"Levi, there was sign of sexual assault..."  
Levi snarled, he pushed his chair back and Hanji half stood  
"I'm going to fucking kill him, I don't give a fuck anymore, I've tried to do things the proper way and this is what fucking happens..."  
"Levi, maybe you shouldn't be..."  
"Maybe I should be what!?"  
His voice was a growl and Mr Smith stepped up and grabbed his arm  
"Maybe you shouldn't be screaming about taking things into your own hands"  
Hanji nodded quickly  
"He was buried alive! And now you say he was raped! No. How much more does he have to suffer!"  
"Levi, stop. You're yelling again. Look, we recovered semen samples and when I checked his mouth I found hair, he fought... he fought so you need to be there when he wakes up because we all know he only fought so he could be with you"  
Her words disarmed him, he let out a smaller growl in frustration   
Mr Smith guided him back to his chair   
"What else?..."  
Hanji sighed  
"The drugs have cleared his system, so all we can do is wait until he wakes up, but Levi... his whole body is covered in bruising, we don't know what kind of condition he'll be in when he wakes up"  
Levi nodded sadly, he looked to his friend  
"Can I see him?"  
"Yeah... but I'm sorry Mr Smith, I'm going to have to ask you to wait here"  
"That's fine"  
Hanji lead Levi out the room and down the hall, his feet felt leaden and when they finally reached the door to Eren's room, he couldn't go in. Hanji disregarded his discomfort and pushed him inside the room  
"I'll give you two some time alone"  
"Hanji... when will you get the results back?"  
"Which ones?"  
"Any... all? The DNA... I don't know how these things work"  
"Ok, well we've done a basic STI panel, that came back clear, but we're still treating in just in case, the semen and hair samples are being analysed elsewhere... the other blood test results will be in in a few hours"  
Levi nodded and Hanji pushed him again, he stumbled through the curtain gap and Eren came into view  
"Can..."  
"You can touch him... hold his hand and talk to him..."  
"Can he hear me?"  
"I'm sure he can..."  
"Hanji... thank you"  
"It's alright, now, is it alright for me to fill Mr Smith in on Eren's condition and ongoing results?"  
"Yeah... he's supposed to be representing Eren against Reiner as it was..."  
"Ok, if anything happens, just push the call button"  
He nodded and she left, once she was gone, he moved in and sat on the edge of the bed. Hanji said hand holding... but he didn't want to just hold Eren's hand. As he'd done before, he slid under the blankets and nuzzled against Eren, small tears ran silently down his face  
"God, I'm so fucking sorry... this is all my fault..."  
His hand slid onto Eren's stomach  
"Fuck..."  
He closed his eyes and breathed Eren's scent in, he'd nearly lost all this... he showered his sleeping mate with kisses and apologies until Hanji came back in, she sighed and gently reprimanded him for being on the bed, even if her heart was obviously not in it  
"The police are here, they're waiting in the visitors room"  
Levi nodded, he should have expected it. He cast Eren one last look before following Hanji from the room.

It was the same officers that had they'd talked to before over Eren's call. He felt a little sheepish as he sat, they greeted him with thin lipped smiles. It seemed they wanted to search his house in relation to Eren's disappearance, he was more than happy to give them the door codes, he hoped they'd find something... anything that could prove Kenny and Reiner were behind all this. They also asked for his recount of the previous nights activities, he did his best to keep his feelings down as he explained about first finding Bertholdt and then Eren and by the time he was done, it was time to return to the courthouse.

*  
Kenny was late, 5 minutes turned to 10 and then to 20. The judge was clearly not impressed and the man's lawyer scrambled to cover his clients lateness, but it was obvious he had no clue as to where Kenny was. At the half hour mark, the judge dismissed the case. Kenny's lawyer tried to ask for more time, but Mr Smith began packing his things up and Levi was left to wonder what happened next.

Mr Smith was on his phone the moment they left the room and Levi waited patiently, the man smiled and Levi's heart rose, he thanked whoever he was talking to and then turned to the alpha  
"So, we found Kenny... he was at your house when the police arrived and they've taken him into custody"  
Levi snorted  
"He must have been fucking desperate"  
"That's what they're thinking, he said he was looking for you, but given everything you've told them... they didn't believe him for a second"  
Levi smiled slightly   
"Any news on Reiner?"  
"No, but for now, don't concern yourself with it. Just focus on Eren and we'll figure out the rest as we go"  
Levi nodded  
"I can't thank you enough for this"  
"Sure you can, just make sure my son still has a job at the end of all this"  
Mr Smith patted him on the shoulder and Levi watched him leave. Once everything came out... no one would want to touch anything to do with the Ackerman name. Hell, he didn't even want to set foot back in company HQ ever again. Maybe it was time for a career change... he shook his head as he pulled Hanji's keys from his pocket, he didn't have time to waste when he could be with Eren.

Arriving at the hospital he headed straight up to Eren's room, he let himself in and moved to his mates side. He was sure there was less machines than last time and he smiled, his mate was so brave and strong. He toed his shoes off and climbed into bed again, Hanji would find him eventually. He laid there and filled Eren in on what had happened today. He told his mate how proud he was, and how the phone call had been so brave, he showed praise on his mate, hoping that Eren could hear him... even though he was sure he couldn't. He pulled Eren closer and closed his eyes drifting off easily with Eren's solid form in his arms.

*  
A search of his residence revealed a series of hidden cameras had been installed, as well as small remote chip in his door, which logged the code changes and sent them to Kenny's phone when it was in range. Levi was disgusted, he'd never installed cameras himself as he didn't want any evidence if things went sour. He didn't install them once Eren had moved in as he didn't want his mate feeling like he was under a microscope or that he didn't trust him. It was revolting to know the man had seen everything... including their sex life. He had the living and dining room rearranged, investing in a new sofa that could be pushed together to make a bed, he wasn't having Eren going up and down stairs... He also went ahead and replaced their bed... and Eren's, he ordered all new bedding, all their old things had been sent to charity. His mate would more than likely be confused by all the changes, but he'd deal with that then...


	19. Chapter 19

2 weeks had passed and even though Eren had woken up, he was practically catatonic. His eyes were open, but he didn't seem to register the things going on around him, Hanji let him take him, he'd set them both up in the living room rather than upstairs, he'd piled the bedding into the middle of the sofa, creating a small private world for just the two of them. It was another week before Eren began to show the signs of recognition. Levi had left their bed to use the bathroom, he'd returned to Eren in his spot, it started with little things like that, but gradually Eren became aware and Levi almost wished he hadn't. 

The omega was terrified. He jumped at every noise and couldn't sleep through the night without screaming, when Hanji had tried to examine him, he'd bitten her hand. He didn't trust her, and by the seems he didn't trust Levi either... but he wouldn't go anywhere without Levi. The lights had to be on constantly and if Eren needed to use the bathroom, he would wait until Levi realised, which lead to more than a couple of accidents. He wouldn't talk either, not even to Levi. It was like they'd regressed right back to the first few hours of having brought Eren there. It hurt so fucking much. They should be picking nursery furniture, not trying to pick the pieces of broken Eren up.

*  
Eren was 25 weeks pregnant when Reiner finally reappeared... his body was found in Bertholdts car, the man had committed suicide, or that was at least how the scene had looked to investigators, Levi wasn't so sure. For one thing, what had happened to Reiner's car... Bertholdt had obviously needed his to drive out and meet Reiner, and for another, Reiner didn't strike him as the type to commit suicide.

Despite Hanji's warnings, Levi had practically carried Eren from the house and taken him to the morgue to see his with his eyes that Reiner was gone. His mate shook as they moved the sheet back, and Levi watched as the teens eyes widened and the first words from Eren in over a month were "Thank god".  
That night Eren actually talked to him. Levi recorded it on his phone so Eren wouldn't have to repeat it. Eren had been home alone, when he'd heard the front door close. Assuming it was Levi, he'd moved to the doorway of their bedroom, only to come face to face with Reiner. Reiner had slapped him across the face and Eren had tried to shut himself in the bathroom, but the alpha had grabbed him and shoved him to the floor. That's when he'd bitten Reiner's hand. After that the alpha had threatened to murder Levi and he'd agreed to leave with him. Levi hushed Eren as he started to cry, his mate shook and sniffled as he tried to pull himself together. Reiner had laughed about the cabin and taken him there as he thought it'd be hilarious, Kenny had told him about it all... about Levi taking Eren there and then Levi's arrest. Reiner had taken him up to Erwin's old room, the man joking about how he'd never get see his children so he was being considerate by letting him spent his last few hours in a kids room... but then Reiner had left, and when he returned, he was sweet, he'd rubbed Eren's belly, saying over and over how they could have been so happy if Eren had just fallen pregnant for him like a good omega should. Levi trembled with anger, he had a sick feeling about what was coming next.

Eren looked up at him so guiltily, he was clearly struggling as he forced out what Reiner did to him, he'd made the mistake of trying to get away from Reiner's touch when he felt his phone vibrate. Reiner had pulled back and Eren had slipped his hand into his back pocket, not even sure if he was call was going through. Outside a car had pulled up and a few seconds later Kenny had appeared, he was furious, screaming at Reiner and Reiner had snapped again and grabbed him by the throat, holding him tightly as he pulled down Eren's pants, it was at that stage he'd wet himself. Reiner hadn't cared, he slapped Eren hard across the face and when Eren's pants had hit the floor his phone had fallen out. Kenny had snapped it. The man screamed at Reiner again and then left, he wasn't getting caught by Reiner's incompetence. Once alone again Reiner had held him down and Eren begged him to stop... Reiner hadn't stopped. Eren let out a small whimper and then continued. Reiner had spread his legs and shoved in, he'd screamed until eventually he'd passed out. His next memory being waking up with Levi and being so scared to tell him... so scared this was all a dream because the house had changed and he didn't know how'd he'd gotten there. Eren sobbed and apologised over and over, not listening as Levi told him he didn't blame him at all. Levi ended the recording, and lifted Eren from the bed, he carried Eren through to the bathroom and sat him on the counter, Eren cried harder, but Levi began to gently clean up his face. He smiled and pressed a kiss to Eren's lips when he was done, his omega still looked so guilty.

"Eren, you've done nothing wrong... you did what you did because you were in an impossible situation"  
Levi took Eren's hands and stared into his eyes   
"Why do I feel so dirty... I slept with someone else"  
"You didn't have a choice and you aren't dirty"  
"But..."  
"But what?"  
"I..."  
Eren shook his head and Levi sighed   
"You can tell me..."  
"I... I can feel him... even when your the one touching me... why can I feel him?"  
Levi released Eren's hands and his mate flinched, he tugged on the bottom of Eren's shirt  
"Levi... don't..."  
Levi didn't stop, he slipped Eren's shirt up and placed his hands on Eren's stomach, he pressed open mouthed kisses to the stretch marked skin, before pressing his forehead to it, he could feel their children, and nuzzled against the swell before pressing two kisses against it  
"Levi... stop..."  
Levi looked up, Eren's eyes were filled with tears, he leant up and kissed both of Eren's cheeks   
"I won't stop, not until all you feel is me..."  
He slid his hands up and pulled up Eren's shirt, despite his protests Eren still allowed him to take strip it off, Levi smiled at the sight, Eren's breasts were developing, and he placed both hands over the small mounds, cupping and massaging them as he leant in for another kiss. Eren shook beneath his touch and let out a sob  
"I love you Eren, and I'm so proud of you"  
"You're lying..."  
Levi shook his head, he continued to massage Eren's breasts  
"I'm not lying, and I will show you over and over until you believe me"  
"Please... please stop... I'm sorry... just don't hurt me..."  
Levi pulled back, he'd pushed Eren too far, his mate had wet himself in fear. He cursed himself and gathered Eren up against his chest  
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry I wasn't there and I'm so sorry... I love you so much... you're my world"  
"You... can... let me go..."  
Levi shook his head  
"I really can't"  
"But I need to shower"  
Levi snorted and pulled back  
"Bath or shower?"  
"I can have a bath?"  
Levi nodded  
"You can have whatever you want"  
"Bath... please... my back hurts"  
Levi kissed the tip of Eren's nose  
"Why don't you rinse while I fill the bath, and then I'll give you a massage"  
Eren nodded evidently hesitant, but when Levi moved to turn the taps on, his mate struggled off the counter and stripped, amongst the smell of piss was the smell of slick and Levi supposed that was what had pushed Eren over. He was probably angry and disgusted over his bodies reaction to Levi's stimulation. Levi moved and let Eren into the showers before finding the bubble bath he'd brought on a whim. He rinsed the rub and then squirted a generous amount in. When Eren exited the shower, he turned the taps on properly and helped his mate in, Eren looked like a child as bubbles rose around him until the bath was sufficiently full. After turning the taps off, Levi cleaned up the counter and placed Eren's wet clothes into the laundry hamper. He rinsed his hands and stripped, Eren eyed him in confusion   
"I told you I'd give you a massage"  
It was clear Eren wanted to protest, but when he didn't Levi stepped carefully into the bath behind his mate, and then laid Eren up against his chest   
"Warm enough?"  
Eren nodded and Levi let his hands come to rest on the omegas swollen belly again, he rested his chin on Eren's shoulder  
"Levi... will you tell me... what happened... after..."  
"Are you sure you want to know?"  
"I need to know, I've been here a while haven't I?"  
"Yeah, two weeks in hospital and then here"  
"How... far along am I now?"  
"25 weeks"  
Eren let out a small gasp  
"Really?"  
"Yep"  
"I'm sorry"  
"For what?"  
"I can't remember"  
"You were drugged"  
"I was?"  
"Yeah, are you sure you want to know"  
Eren nodded quickly  
"I was worried about you, so Hanji said she'd go check in on you... but when she got here, she couldn't find you. Walking back into the courtroom, Kenny looked so fucking smug and my heart dropped. I knew he had something to do with. Thanks to Mr Smith, we came back early and I couldn't find you either. I was going crazy... you wouldn't have been proud of me. We found out that the house you lived in with Reiner isn't there anymore and I couldn't think of where you'd be. I didn't even think about your phone. Erwin found Bertholdts address and we went and saw him, he said he hadn't seen Reiner since the party... I can't remember when I called you.. if it was before or after that, but you called me just as we were leaving. It was because of that call that we the police could trace you to near the cabin. Erwin drove me, he bullshitted to the police and nearly got us killed, but he drove me out there to look for you"  
"Why?"  
Levi bit gently on Eren's earlobe  
"Because I fucking love you more than anything..."  
Eren shook his head and levi shifted his hold, his hands gently rubbed Eren's belly  
"We were all secret agent style as we snuck up to the cabin, the lights were off, but the door was open and there wasn't any cars. We snuck inside and checked the place out, I found the damp mattress..."  
"And you knew I was fucked up enough to piss myself"  
"You're not fucked up. I probably would have done the same thing... now if you want to know the rest, no more interrupting"  
Despite his words, his tone was gentle  
"We found some footprints and followed them until they disappeared into leaves, Erwin and I split up, but he found Bertholdt and called out to me. He was dead..."  
Eren whined  
"Maybe we shouldn't..."  
Eren shook his head firmly  
"Levi... I need to know..."  
"We... left him there and continued on, I was using the light of my phone and something caught in the light"  
Levi's own tears formed, he buried his face against Eren's hair and Eren took his hands in his  
"They fucking drugged you and they buried you alive... I thought you were dead"  
Levi dissolved completely, he sobbed against Eren   
"I'm so sorry... I shouldn't have left you... you nearly died... you were so close... and it was all my fault. You told me to leave it, but I fucking couldn't... I'm so sorry..."  
"It's not your fault"  
"It is..."  
"No... please..."  
Eren twisted awkwardly to look at him   
"I don't know why you put yourself through all of that... for something like me... but please... I can't stand to see you cry"  
Levi released Eren's hands so he could cup Eren's face  
"Because you are the only thing I want in this world. You are my world. I love you Eren, I will tell you that over and over until you finally believe me"  
Eren nodded and he offered his mate a smile  
"Kenny is going away for a long long time, we have proof, he can't get out of it, and not just your statement"  
"Are... but Reiner was supposed to..."  
"Yeah, well I'm still fucking pissed over that"  
"So Kenny could..."  
"No, he really can't. I'll tell you, but not right now, you've had a long day"  
Eren nodded  
"Can we go back to bed?"  
"Yeah"  
Levi stood first and then helped Eren out, he dried his mate down carefully and then himself, before leading Eren into the living room and back into the 3 sided nest they had going on  
"Do you like this?"  
"Mhmm... it was confusing to begin with"  
"I know, but I thought a change would be good"  
"It is... I don't miss the stairs"  
Levi grinned happily  
"Now, do you want food or your massage?"  
"You're not really going to give me a massage right?"  
Levi pretended to be hurt, he climbed up and moved behind Eren, his hands coming to rest on the teens shoulders, his mate was soon moaning lightly as he worked his way down  
"Good?"  
"Yeah... I'm sorry"  
"Stop saying sorry... it's fine"  
It was going well until Levi's fingers came to Eren's hips and his mate tensed  
"Eren?"  
Eren didn't reply and Levi moved from behind him, the teens eyes were closed and tears were running down his face  
"Eren? It's Levi. You're safe... open your eyes for me"  
Eren did as he asked slowly  
"Sorry... I just... got really scared"  
"It's fine. But let's have dinner now?"  
Eren nodded as he wiped his eyes   
"What do you feel like?"  
"Ice cream"  
"What flavour?"  
"You have more than one?"  
"We, have more than one"  
"Strawberry?"  
"Naturally, strawberry it is?"  
Eren nodded again and Levi climbed from the bed, moving to the kitchen and grabbing two spoons and the tub of strawberry, he returned and crawled up beside his mate.

Eren was adorable as he ate his share, but Levi found his attention on the way the teen licked and sucked on the spoon. He cursed himself for growing hard, he supposed it was relief that Eren was actually talking to him, combined by the fact his mate was positively edible and oblivious to what he was doing to Levi. When ice cream dribbled onto Eren's chest, Levi leant in and licked it off him omega without even thinking. Eren dropped the spoon and Levi lapped at that mess too, he pulled back and sighed   
"Sorry... I wasn't thinking..."  
Eren squirmed and Levi wondered if his brat was feeling aroused again, he slid his hand down under the blanket, pretending he was looking for the dropped spoon and "accidentally" brushed Eren's erection, he looked up and found Eren looking scared, but his pupils were ridiculously wide. Levi pulled back, causing the tip of the teens erection to drag on his forearm  
"Levi..."  
Levi grabbed the ice cream and put the lid on it before dropping it off the bed, he then dived in to claim Eren's mouth, Eren kissed him back and one hand came up to cup Eren's face, while the other disappeared back under the blankets, he rubbed his thumb hard against the slit of the teens erection and Eren let out a gasp  
"Can I keep touching you?"  
Eren nodded slowly and Levi slid down, he crawled under the blanket and took Eren's erection in his mouth, his lover pushed the blankets back  
"I... I need to see... it's too scary..."  
Levi nodded, he licked and sucked, hoping his touch would bring his mate some measure of comfort and release. The smell of slick filled his nostrils and he groaned around Eren's erection, he pulled up and looked Eren in the eye  
"Do you want me to stop?"  
Eren shook his head...  
"I... I'm scared... I don't want to be scared"  
"Is it easier if I let you guide?"  
Eren bit his lip and Levi moved back, giving his mate the option to decide, Eren very slowly and very cautiously crawled into Levi's lap  
"Can you keep your hands where I can see them?"  
Levi immediately placed them on Eren's breasts, Eren whined as he moved to pinch and rub the teens nipples, Levi felt them growing moist and supposed he should have told Eren that he'd begun lactating, Eren said nothing as he rose in Levi's lap, the alpha groaned as Eren sank down on him, his mate shook hard and Levi abandoned Eren's nipples to cup the teens face again. He lifted Eren's face gently, the teen had gone ghostly white. He started to struggle against Levi   
"No... no... I don't want this... no..."  
Levi couldn't move without shifting Eren, he lift Eren his hips, trying to move Eren backward so he could slide out  
"No! Stop! I don't want this! I don't love you! Let me go!"  
Eren's squirms made it hard to get him to lay back, Levi bit his lips as Eren's insides twitched around him, he didn't want to scare Eren, but knew he was about to as he let go of Eren's face and forced him back, sliding out as he did. Eren began to cry immediately, rolling into a ball as he did  
"Eren?"  
"I'm sorry... I can't..."  
"No, it's fine, you have nothing to be sorry for..."  
"I'm... I thought it... I could feel him..."  
Eren uncurled, he shoved Levi away before rushing out the room. Levi shook his head, thoroughly disgusted with himself. He gave his mate a few minutes, busying himself as he put the ice cream away and then headed to find his mate. Eren was curled around the toilet, sobbing as he vomited weakly  
"I'm sorry"  
Eren shook his head   
"It's... you... didn't do..."  
Eren vomited again  
"I should have held back"  
"I wanted it... I wanted you... I don't want to think about him..."  
"I know... these things take time... you had a big day, I shouldn't have rushed you"  
"You didn't... can you help... me up?"  
Levi nodded, he moved and helped Eren stand, the teen flushed the toilet and moved to the counter, he washed his hands and then brushed his teeth  
"I want to sleep now"  
"Ok"  
"Can... I sleep alone?"  
"If that's what you need..."  
"I don't know what I need..."  
Levi followed Eren to the living room, he moved the blankets and Eren climbed onto the bed, Levi then covered him with the blankets  
"Will you be alright?"  
"Probably not"  
"Then let me stay, let me watch over you while you sleep"  
"That sounds creepy..."  
Levi shrugged, trying to brush of the small amount of hurt at the word "creep". In the end, Eren asked him to stay, Levi had barely made it to the stairs Eren called his name softly. He moved onto the bed and Eren curled up with his bed back to him  
"I'm so scared"  
"I know, but I promise with time, things will get better"


	20. Chapter 20

The sound of Levi's ringing phone woke them both up, Eren shrunk away from the noise, while Levi searched the sea of blankets for the source of their disturbance, he found his phone just as it stopped ringing and moved up to pull Eren closer to him, his mate eyed him with big doey eyes and Levi couldn't help but press a small kiss to teens forehead, it was only a manner of seconds before Levi's phone began ringing again, obviously Hanji had something to say, even if he wasn't particularly in the mood to hear it. Still he slid his thumb across the screen   
"Levi! Oh my god! Were you sleeping?"  
Levi pinched the bridge of his nose, the woman's voice was already beginning to grate on his nerves  
"We were, so please tell me this important"  
"So you haven't seen the news?"  
"It's a bit hard when to watch the news when you're sleeping"  
"Turn on the TV, doesn't matter what channel. Just do it"  
Levi looked to Eren   
"Have you seen the TV remote?"  
Eren shook his head, but began to move, he searched for a good long minute before pulling it out of where it'd slid between the sofa pieces  
"Levi!"  
"God, just hang on!"  
Levi aimed the remote at the TV, it flickered to life and he flicked over to the normal commercial channels, Kenny's face filled the screen and Levi quickly told Hanji he'd call her back. He turned the volume up  
"... just repeating our leading story: 53 year old Kenneth Ackerman has been charged with the murders of both Reiner Braun and Bertholdt Hoover, our sources have also revealed the business magnate was recently in court over alleged assault charges in relation to his 30 year old nephew Levi Ackerman. Levi Ackerman is yet to make a statement, but..."  
Levi flicked the TV off, Eren had retreated under the blankets and Levi couldn't blame him  
"Eren?"  
"It's... going to come out... isn't it? I mean... now that Kenny is..."  
Levi slid under the blankets so he was level with Eren   
"Hey... come here, you've got nothing to fear"  
Eren shook his head  
"What... what if everyone knows... about me and Reiner... what if they think I deserved it or that..."  
"Eren. Stop. We'll deal with it If and that's a big If, it comes out, but I don't care because I know the truth, you didn't deserve it"  
"I don't want them all things bad things about you"  
"People are going to think what they want, regardless of if it's true or not. I need to call Mr Smith"  
Eren nodded and Levi pulled his phone back out, trying to hold Eren and place the call at the same time. It rang half a dozen times before the man answered   
"Levi, I was just on my way out to see you"  
"Is it true? Did they find the evidence?"  
"Yes and no. Look, I'll be there shortly, we'll talk then"  
Levi glared at his phone for a good second after Mr Smith ended the call  
"He's on his way over"  
Eren nodded slowly  
"I guess we have to put the blankets away?"  
"Nope, you can even hide in here if you want, I'm not making you uncomfortable just because he's coming over"  
"He probably things I'm pathetic as it is... I don't want to make him hate me even more"  
Levi frowned as Eren started struggling up  
"Eren, no one hates you, no one thinks you're pathetic. Why would you say that?"  
Eren looked down and shook his head  
"I'm... I'll just go to my room..."  
The omega climbed awkwardly off the bed, Levi watched his naked lover waddle off, one hand on his stomach as he did. He didn't particularly want to clean up their little paradise, but then again... they'd basically been living out of it since he'd brought Eren back from hospital, the omega had only ventured out the house once and that was to see Reiner's body. The alpha pushed all their blankets to one end and began to strip the sheets, he'd found a king sized waterproof mattress protector which had been a massive help when Eren hadn't been respondent, and he'd have to remember to put another one on before remaking the whole thing. He carried the sheets to the laundry and put the load on, before realising he should probably do something about his own nakedness.

Mr Smith arrived half an hour later, Levi was in the middle of making something for Eren to eat when the doorbell rang and he was forced to abandon the task, the tall man followed him into the living area and set down his things on the dining table. Levi watched as he cast a look around the room  
"Where's Eren?"  
The alpha sighed  
"He's in his room, he's got himself thinking everyone hates him or finds him pathetic"  
Mr Smith nodded  
"It's probably because you've been holed up with him, he probably feels like he's taken you away from everyone so they must be mad"  
Levi raised an eyebrow   
"My wife went through a phase like that just after Erwin was born"  
"Knowing Eren, I really wouldn't put it past him"  
Levi moved back to the kitchen   
"So what's this about Kenny? Hanji woke me up this morning about it"  
"First of all, I have no idea how the press found out before I did. The ballistics came back. The same gun that killed Bertholdt Hoover was used in the death of Reiner, the cops haven't ruled it a homicide, but Kenny's prints were on it"  
"Oh... so that's what you meant"  
"Yeah, Kenny's still not admitting to anything"  
"Actually, I meant to send you a recording last night, but Eren wasn't having the best of nights so I forgot about it... give me a second to go give him this and then I'll find my phone"  
Levi sliced through the sandwiches he'd made, even if his mate didn't want to eat, he really needed the nourishment. He carried the plate down the hall and to Eren's room, knocking lightly before opening the door. His mate was sitting on his bed, staring out the window at the overcast day  
"Hey, I made you some lunch"  
Eren shook his head, but Levi carried the plate over   
"Come on, I bet you're starving"  
"I'm not hungry..."  
"You haven't had breakfast, it's not good for you or the twins to go without"  
Eren gave him a less than impressed look, like he was playing dirty by bringing the twins up  
"I'll be in the dining room if you need anything, but Mr Smith might want to ask you some questions, just so you're prepared"  
Eren sighed and looked back out the window and Levi placed the plate down before leaving.

Levi grabbed his phone from the arm of the sofa... bed... he really didn't know what to call it, and headed over to the dining table, he found the recording he'd made last night and soon Eren's shaky voice filled the space. Mr Smith didn't let anything show as he listened, when the recording was complete he let out a measured breath  
"Well, that will certainly help. Have you spoken to Erwin about everything yet?"  
"No, I haven't had the chance. But it might be better if I don't. The business is a sinking ship and stock prices are going to plummet with Kenny's arrest. No ones going to want to touch any of us with a 10ft pole"  
Mr Smith sighed  
"That very well may be true, but you need to think about the innocent people caught up in all this"  
Levi nodded  
"Yeah, I need to call a board meeting, and I need to make sure all the staff have a future..."  
Levi's sentence ended with a groan, putting on a suit and walking to into company HQ just seemed like too much effort. He knew he wasn't made to just sit around idly, but the more time he spent with Eren, the less he wanted to leave. Mr Smith began talking again, this time about him submitting a formal statement and having Eren submit a formal statement over the recording. The man wanted Eren to take the stand, but Levi was dead against it, his protests however were cut off by Eren screaming his name. Levi was up and moving before he even realised, he rushed to Eren's room, his mate was sitting on the floor sobbing  
"Eren!"  
Levi knelt down next to the omega, Eren's hands were coated in blood and Eren was staring at them, it took Levi a minute to realise Eren must have dropped the plate and gone to clean it up  
"Eren? Can you hear me?"  
Levi took Eren's face in his hands, he turned Eren's head, forcing him to look at him  
"Levi... there's blood... why won't it come off..."  
"You cut your hands, do you remember?"  
"It's my blood? Not yours?"  
Levi frowned  
"No, no mine, I'm here and I'm just fine"  
"I was so scared... I thought it was yours..."  
"Why would my blood be on your hands?"  
Eren shook his head and bit his lips, his sobs had stopped, but tears still ran down his face  
"I'm going to lift you up now, alright?"  
Eren nodded and Levi lifted him onto the bed, he look Eren's hands carefully, the teen had shards of porcelain in his hands and Levi realised he must have been trying to rub his hands together to get the blood off, as they were covered in cuts and scratches, one particularly nasty cut ran across his palm and Levi winced as more blood ran from the wound  
"You did a good job"  
Eren sniffled sadly  
"It hurts..."  
"I can imagine. Do you want me to treat them here or do you want to come out to living room"  
"Living room..."  
Eren's voice was soft, and Levi was relieved he didn't have to dress his mate, he lifted Eren again and carried him out to the living room, sitting him down atop the blankets  
"I'll get the first aid kit, you just wait here"  
Eren nodded, his eyes back on his bleeding hands. The teens face paled and he slumped sideways, Levi barely catching him in time. He guided Eren back onto the blankets and made sure his mate looked comfortable before heading into the bathroom to retrieve the first aid kit, Mr Smith was watching him curiously   
"He dropped the plate and freaked over the blood"  
Mr Smith nodded, the man sat back, not speaking as Levi dressed Eren's hands. He was glad Eren had fainted, he'd had to dig some of the smaller shards out and didn't envy how Eren would be feeling when he woke up. Part of him was reminded of when the teen had dropped the glass, so much had happened since then. Once Eren's hands were done, he shifted his mate and covered him with the blankets, before washing his hands and returning to the dining table  
"He'll be fine..."  
Mr Smith nodded  
"When do you think you can organise a board meeting?"  
"Probably immediately, but shouldn't I wait until I know something more?"  
The man nodded slowly  
"I'll make some calls, and I'd like to be there"  
"That should be fine, they'll probably vote me out anyway. How about tomorrow morning? Will that be alright?"  
"Yeah, that'll give me enough time to get a better idea of what exactly they're charging Kenny with"  
Levi nodded  
"I'll send out an email... I might take Eren out today too, I don't particularly want to be swarmed"  
"Yeah, but don't go too far"  
Mr Smith began to pack up his things  
"Don't forget to send me that recording before anything happens to it"  
Levi picked his phone up, he penned a quick email and attached the recording   
"Done"  
"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow morning. Make sure you bring your A game"  
Levi snorted  
"Yeah, will do, thanks for coming round"  
Levi walked Mr Smith out, before firmly closing the door. He headed into the kitchen and grabbed his wallet and keys out, setting them on the breakfast bench, only for Titan to jump up and knock them off, he patted the feline affectionately   
"You're a menace, you know that right?"  
Titan arched his back and gave him an unimpressed look before jumping down and walking to his food bowl, it wasn't like the tom didn't have biscuits, but Levi still gave him a can of wet food.

Levi sat next to Eren waiting for him to wake. He'd messaged the board of directors explaining that he was trying to get more information on what was happening and that there'd be a board meeting at 9 am the following morning. He placed his phone down once he was done and slid across so he could lift Eren half into his lap. His omega moaned a few minutes later, hissing when he went to use his hands to push himself up  
"Good morning, how are you feeling?"  
Levi kept his tone light, trying to make sure Eren didn't become too depressed over his hands  
"My hands hurt"  
"That's what happens when you drop a plate and cut yourself on the shards"  
Eren looked around the living area and then hung his head  
"What is it?"  
"Mr Smith left?"  
"Yeah, he's going to look into this whole Kenny thing, I've got a board meeting tomorrow morning... so I was thinking that we might go out today? It's been a while"  
"Are you mad at me?"  
"What for?"  
"Because you're always home..."  
"No, I just thought it'd be nice to do something, we can go for a drive..."  
Eren nodded, he looked like he had something to say... but was obviously not sure about saying it  
"What is it?"  
"Can we see mum...?"  
Levi beamed, he hadn't expected the teen to want to be out for that long  
"Sure! I'm sure she'd love that"  
Eren gave her a funny look, he couldn't really describe it  
"Do you want to go use the bathroom? Or are you good to go?"  
Eren this time glared  
"You can't put a pregnant person in a car for hours without letting them pee first"  
Levi snorted  
"Heard and understood"

*  
Levi hadn't forgotten about his message to Armin, the teen had messaged him back about a week later, naturally curious about who Levi was and why he wanted to know about Eren. Levi had explained that he was Eren's alpha and how they'd seen him in supermarket. Armin had been shocked that Eren remembered him and was anxious to reconnect and now they were going to Shinganshima, well the timing wasn't great for Eren mentally, but locationwise... he messaged Armin and let him know they'd be in town. He suggested coincidentally meeting them at the cemetery, he explained that Eren was having a bit of a hard time, he didn't want to tell Armin that his friend thought himself crazy.

It took half an hour to get Eren organised and into the car. Levi was happy to see Eren seemed impatient to leave and when they finally pulled out of the drive, his mate watched the world go past. Eren had no idea how cute he was being, it was like everything was bright and new... without the smile. 

Eren stayed quiet on the drive, seemingly content to watch the world, Levi'd set his phone to silent, he didn't want to deal with reality, not today. They arrived in Shinganshima and Levi drove to the same supermarket as before, he pulled up and looked to Eren, the teen was shaking  
"Do you want to come choose flowers?"  
"I don't know... I don't want people to see me..."  
Levi had a feeling that by people Eren meant Armin. His great idea of having the two reconnect by accident didn't seem so great now that they were actually there   
"I don't see why not, you're beautiful and crazy sexy"  
Eren snorted, his lips hinted at a smile   
"If you say so..."  
"I do, besides, I'll be right there with you"  
Eren unbuckled his seatbelt and Levi let out a loud internal cheer. He quickly undid his own belt and clambered from the car, rushing to then otherside to help the teen out. Eren's palm was sweaty as he gripped Levi's hand tight, they walked into the store and over to the flowers, this time Eren chose roses while Levi chose carnations  
"We should go out for dinner while we're here... I want to spoil you for a change"  
Eren let out a small whine  
"You always spoil me..."  
"Well let me spoil you more, I'm so proud of you"  
Eren looked down  
"Can... we not do this here"  
"Ok, but don't forget I love you"  
They paid for the flowers and Eren relaxed a little, Levi lead him back out to car, he helped his mate in and then passed the two bouquets to the teen. Eren kept his face buried against the flowers on the drive and Levi pulled into the cemetery hoping Armin wouldn't be waiting in an obvious space. Eren climbed out the car under his own steam this time, but waited for Levi to come and take him by the hand.

They didn't run into Armin until they were near Carla's grave, the teen was standing near another grave and Eren moved straight behind Levi, but Armin was already walking over  
"Sorry, correct me if I'm wrong... but you're Eren right?"  
Levi's hand was nearly crushed   
"Eren? This is Armin isn't it... the friend you told me about?"  
"I thought it was you! I was just visiting my parents, are you here to see your mum?"  
Eren let out a small whimper and Levi moved to the side, he pulled Eren up against him   
"Yeah, we sure are. I'm Levi, Eren's alpha"  
Levi extended his hand and Armin shook it  
"I hope you're looking after him, he was my very first friend. All the other kids used to pick on me... but he'd always stand up for me... but then they started on him"  
Levi nodded  
"Kids can be dicks"  
Armin snorted  
"It looks like you'll have your own soon?"  
"Yep, he's 26 weeks with twins"  
Armin gasped   
"Eren! Oh my god! That's awesome! Wow, I can't wait to tell everyone I saw you. Hey, what's your number? We have soooo much to catch up on!"  
"He doesn't have a phone at the moment, but"  
Levi pulled his phone out, he ignore the dozen missed calls to open his contacts   
"I'll give you my number for now, I'd love to hear more about Eren as a kid"  
Levi and Armin exchanged numbers   
"I better go, grandpa will wonder where I am. You should come around if you have time?"  
Eren tensed, the hand that was gripping Levi clutched the alphas shirt tighter  
"Maybe not this time, but that would be nice"  
Armin smiled and said his goodbyes, he gave them both a small wave as he left and once gone Eren finally released Levi   
"You set that up didn't you"  
"Maybe..."  
"How could you!"  
Eren stormed off to Carla's grave, giving Levi the cold shoulder. Levi text Armin apologising for Eren. Armin quickly replied that he shocked but hoped Eren would want to talk to him. They exchanged a few more texts before Levi slid his phone away and walked over to where Eren was sitting  
"Look, it was a dick move, but I just want you to be happy and I thought maybe if you talked to him..."  
Eren shook his head  
"In my head... I get it... I know you didn't mean bad... but... I'm so embarrassed... who could want to be friends with a thing like me"  
"Eren. You have nothing to be embarrassed about!"  
Levi's words were crisper than he meant, but he couldn't stand to have his love embarrassed over nothing  
"I'm fat, I'm fucked in the head. I can't do anything and I'm scared all the time. I don't even know if I'm going to be a good parent... I keep thinking maybe it's better if I don't see the twins. I'm scared I'm going to hurt them, or have an episode or forget who they are... it's terrifying..."  
Levi sat behind Eren and rubbed his shoulders   
"You're not going to be a bad parent and the twins will love you, I know they will because every part of you is loveable. And I'll be with you, we'll work through things as they come, like we have done since day one"  
Eren sniffled   
"Besides, what would your mum think about you being so mean to yourself?"  
"She'd get mad and tell me to get over it"  
Levi didn't say anything, Eren's words was the point he was making. They sat there for a long time until Eren finally stood  
"We can go"  
Levi stood and brushed his hands off  
"Let's have dinner?"  
"I'm not dressed for it"  
"There is nothing wrong with what you're wearing"  
Eren sighed  
"I'm not getting out of it am I?"  
Levi shook his head  
"Nope, I told you before I want to spoil you, now shall we go for a drive and see what we find? Or do you feel like anything in particular?"  
"Something that's easy to eat... the dressings are coming off"  
Levi took Eren's hands, the sweat had lifted the edges on most of them  
"I've got a first aid kit in the car..."  
"No... can we do them at home? I don't want to look at them"  
"Ok"

Driving around only went to prove that there was hardly anywhere to go in Shinganshima, they found a small kebab shop. Levi ordered for the both of them and they sat out the front of the shop, Eren ate without complaint and Levi was happy to see him finish. The teen wasn't self conscious at all until he realised Levi was still eating  
"I'm sorry"  
"No, its really good, my mind was just elsewhere"  
"You're still mad aren't you?"  
"About what?"  
Levi was confused and placed his kebab down  
"Before?"  
"No, I'm not mad about anything"  
"Yes you are!"  
Eren slammed his hands down on the table cause Levi to flinch  
"Eren, I'm not mad"  
The omegas split second of anger turned to tears, and Levi carefully wrapped the remnants of his food up incase his mate got hungry, he put the lids on their drinks and gathered the lot up, putting it in the car before guiding Eren into the car. The teen sobbed as Levi started the car, he didn't want people staring at his mate and upsetting Eren further, so he drove towards home until he found a place he could pull over. Eren had his face buried in his hands and Levi unclipped his belt, leaning over so he could rub Eren's back  
"Feeling better?"  
Eren nodded, at least that was something  
"Want to tell me what's going on in your head?"  
"I'm jealous..."  
He really wasn't expecting that, he had no idea what he was supposed to say, but Eren continued under his own steam  
"Everyone else gets to be normal"  
"Normal is overrated"  
"Levi..."  
Eren's tone told Levi that the omega thought the alpha was mocking him  
"Eren, I don't know what you want me to say. I tell you you're perfect, I tell you I love you, I tell you your safe and that I'm not going to leave you. I tell you you're not crazy and that these things take time... I don't know what else I can tell you, but I'll always love you..."  
Eren burst into tears again   
"I'm sorry"  
"You should stop apologising too... if you do something wrong, I'll tell you, so try not to worry so much"  
"'Kay..."  
"Better"  
Levi waited until Eren calmed back down before pulling back onto the road. Eren soon fell asleep and Levi could only shake his head.

*  
The board room meeting was a clusterfuck of idiots all yelling at each other, he really couldn't call it anything else. Kenny had been labeled a flight risk and was being held awaiting trial, this naturally didn't go over well and Levi wasn't surprised at all to be voted out of the company. No one wanted an Ackerman in power, he was honestly happy to leave. They were paying him a nice sum, enough for him to start his own business. Erwin resigned officially, both of them cleared their offices and left. Neither looked back. Mr Smith even looked relieved to be leaving them all behind, he'd tried to explain how Kenny's case would progress without divulging more than he was allowed, but the board members seemed to think being rich put them above the law... despite the fact Kenny was now in jail... there were a few employees he'd miss and if they asked for references or even a job, he'd happily help them out, but his main concern was for Erwin's future, he looked to his friend  
"What do we do now?"  
Erwin snorted  
"I think I want to vacation. Those people are fucking mental"  
Erwin's father smacked him upside the head and Levi laughed, onto to be smacked also  
"This is no time to be sitting on your collective arses"  
Levi looked to Erwin   
"Smith and associates?"  
"Smith and Ackerman"  
"So you have a name, but what are you going to do?"  
"Private investigators?"  
Erwin snorted and the joke went straight over his father's head, the man moved to the curb and hailed a Taxi  
"I suggest you do some very hard thinking. Erwin, I'll see you at home"  
The two alphas watched the man leave, before walking down to the parking garage  
"Celebration beers?"  
Erwin grinned  
"You get the beer and I'll get the pizzas. Oh what does Eren like?"  
"He's good with basically everything"  
"Right, meet you there"

Levi's trip to buy beer ended up with him stocking up on treats he thought his mate might like. It was a huge weight off his mind to be officially removed from the company. He'd thought about fighting for his job, he deserved it after all he'd put into the company, but eventually all the financials would be checked and all the staff and he didn't want to get caught up with all of it, it'd take months for everything to pass and by then the twins would be born. No, far better to walk away with his head held high. He was leaving the shopping centre when a jewellers shop caught his eye. He rushed to dump everything in the back of the car and hurried back in. His eyes landed on a pair of matching rings, one one silver with green stones, the other black with blue, they were more than a little corny, but it was something he was sure Eren would like. He brought the pair, not caring about the price, it only took an extra half hour for them to be engraved with their names.

*  
Erwin was waiting outside the house when Levi arrived, the alpha waved before pulling into the garage and Erwin walked around, choosing to come in through the side door with Levi instead   
"I thought you were getting beer"  
"I may have gotten distracted, but there's plenty of beer"  
Levi unlocked the side door and opened it  
"Head on in, Eren will probably still be in bed, so don't scare him too much"  
Erwin just shook his head, carrying the pizza in while Levi busied himself attempting to carry all the shopping in in one go. He cursed the last 2 bags and carton of beer that decided not to cooperate with his plan. He carried the bags in and dumped them on the bench, Erwin was staring at the pile of blankets  
"Oh, Eren's hiding in their somewhere. Why don't you grab the beer?"  
Erwin nodded, his eyebrows still drawn together as he walked towards the garage. Levi took the opportunity to slip the ring boxes from his pocket and then invaded the omegas blanket igloo  
"Eren... hold out your left and keep your eyes shut"  
Eren shifted, his hand appeared in the space Levi had pushed the blankets back from and Levi took the silver ring from the box, he slid the ring onto the teens thin fingers and then there was a small gasp and the blankets were thrown backwards. Eren was staring at his hand  
"Levi? What is this?"  
"It's something you can see, so you know I love you"  
Levi slipped the rings partner on his own finger and held his hand up  
"See, we match. Do you like them?"  
Eren nodded, he practically crawled into Levi's lap  
"I missed you this morning, but Erwin and I have some news"  
Eren pulled back, he blinked at Levi a few times  
"Erwin's grabbing the beer, we needed beer. So once he comes back in, I'll tell you, sound fair?"  
Eren nodded and moved his left hand up so he could stare at the ring  
"What does this mean?"  
"I just told you... but if you want a proper name for it, think of it as an engagement ring"  
"Really?"  
Levi nodded and Eren leant in, kissing him deeply and Levi smiled as Eren pulled back  
"You two quite right over there? The pizza probably cold as it is"  
Eren immediately scrambled back  
"You're interrupting our moment, we just got engaged"  
"Aren't you two bonded for life"  
"So? I still want to marry him. God, I'm greedy and want both"  
Eren looked at Erwin clearly unsure  
"It's fine, he was joking, he just needs a beer. Anyway come have lunch"  
Levi slid back and then helped Eren up, he wrapped his arms around the teens waist as Eren moved towards the table  
"Levi, you're making it hard to walk"  
"You, just make me hard"  
Levi's voice was low so only Eren could hear, his mate stopped and shook his head  
"Not now..."  
Levi snorted  
"I know, let's eat lunch"

Eren sat next to Levi, the alpha between him and Erwin, the omega didn't look at the blonde alpha, but he didn't run and hide either  
"Sooo, as I was saying, we have news. We have officially been paid to leave and are now jobless"  
Eren frowned  
"I thought you were already fired"  
Levi laughed at Eren's blunt words  
"Yes and no, before it was more like I was fired unofficially, all the papers are signed, Ackerman Enterprises no longer has an Ackerman in it"  
"What are you going to do now?"  
"Dad wants us to start our own company, Smith and Ackerman"  
"Didn't I tell you before, Smith and Associates. No ones going ones going to come to you with Ackerman in the name"  
Eren placed his slice of pizza down   
"This is my fault isn't it?"  
Erwin got in before Levi could reply  
"Eren, this isn't your fault in the slightest. Kenny has had this coming for years, and I for one am not going to look back"  
Eren looked at Erwin as Levi nodded  
"See, Erwin's probably the smartest person I know. What ever business we start, will be a success. Besides a new challenge will be good, and staff that aren't morons will be even better"  
Erwin took a deep swig of his beer  
"They weren't all bad"  
"No... I suppose your right, there's a few I wouldn't mind hiring"  
Erwin nodded  
"We still need to figure out what we need to do"  
"I want flexible hours"  
"Understandable, Eren should come first and your children"  
"Yeah, it's going to be crazy hectic with two babies. But fuck I'm excited" Levi took Eren's hand  
"What about you? Is there anything you want to do?"  
"Get better..."  
Levi nodded  
"We're working on that, I meant in the long term. Do you want to get a job, or go to school?"  
Eren looked down  
"I never finished school, no where would give me a job... I'm not good at anything"  
"You never finished school?"  
"After dad... the facility never bothered with me... I guess they thought I was too much of a problem"  
Levi flicked a quick glance at Erwin, the alpha was frowning deeply, he quickly looked back to Eren   
"Do you want to finish school?"  
"I... I want to be someone you can be proud of..."  
"I'm already proud of you"  
Eren took his hand back, he looked at the slice of pizza sadly  
"Eren, how do you feel about office work? We'll need a lot of help with the initial set up, filing and organising things, you won't need to talk to anyone other than Levi and I... it'll give you something to do..."  
Eren looked back at Erwin and shook his head   
"I don't want to stuff up and make things worse"  
Erwin's voice was soft, Levi was overjoyed his friend was making such an effort with his mate  
"If I didn't think you could do it, I wouldn't bring it up. And you can work from here if that makes you feel better?"  
"But what... if I have an episode"  
"Then we'll deal with it. But it's not like I'm going to be mad. It's not something you can help"  
Eren nodded slowly while Levi beamed, he knew Eren would probably still try and say no once Erwin left, but for now he'd stay quietly positive. They chatted on about what kind of business they should open, Eren stayed quiet by Levi's side before excusing himself and burying himself under the blankets. Erwin stayed a little longer before excusing himself. Levi dived under the covers once his friend was gone.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo, I don't no know if you all are cat people but in my head Titan had always been a short coat Russian Blue...
> 
> Also... winter is coming!!

Levi sighed as he walked in their home. The last 3 weeks had been busy, they'd struck out on almost every building they'd gone to inspect for their new business  
"Eren! I'm home!"  
Levi walked through to the living area, he smiled at the sight of Eren cooking, this last week in particular had seemed to lift the teens spirits, even if Levi didn't know why. He just put it down to hormones. 29 weeks and Eren was practically glowing. He walked up over to Eren wrapping his arms around the teen and resting his head on Eren's shoulder  
"What'cha making"  
Eren scrunched his face up  
"I don't know"  
Levi dipped the tip of his finger in the pan, he blew the tip and then licked it  
"Yeah, I've got no idea either"  
Eren snorted  
"I guess it's time to give up..."  
He took a deep breath  
"It's something mum used to make, but I think I did it wrong"  
"It doesn't taste bad, I just don't know how I'd describe it"  
Eren nodded as he turned the hotplate off  
"I don't even feel like it anymore..."  
Levi quickly dipped his finger back in the sauce mix, and licked it clean again  
"I think it needs tomatoes... have you tried it?"  
Eren shook his head and Levi dipped his finger in for the third time, he placed it against Eren's lips and the teens tongue flicked out to lick it clean  
"Yeah... tomatoes... but I don't feel like it now"  
Levi rocked his hips suggestively against his mate, he pressed an open mouth kissed to Eren's neck and the omega moaned sweetly for him  
"Levi..."  
"I know... but seeing you so pregnant..."  
He continued to press open mouth kisses to Eren's neck and shoulder, his hands slid under Eren's shirt and and up to the teens breasts, he rolled both nubs with his fingertips and Eren let out a breathy moan as his head lolled back, Eren had allowed some very light touching, but they hadn't had sex in weeks, they hadn't even tried since that night. Levi continued to work Eren's nipples, his lover panting against him  
"I have an idea... that might help..."  
Eren nodded and Levi spun him around, he claimed Eren's mouth, rutting up against the omega, relieved to find Eren just as hard  
"Lets go to the bathroom"

Eren took Levi's hand and Levi lead him into the bathroom, he flicked the lights on and nudged Eren back against the counter. He sank to his knees and slid Eren's pants and underwear down so he could lick and nip at Eren's hips, his mate whined and he pulled back, pulling Eren's pants down, he stood and smiled, a slight blush was across Eren's face   
"You are truly perfect"  
Levi gently slid Eren's shirt up and off, he licked and sucked on the teens nipples causing Eren to mew and whimper, the smell of slick made Levi groan in want  
"Do you trust me?"  
Eren bit his lip and gave a single nod  
"Turn around, look in the mirror"  
Eren turned slowly, and Levi stripped off his suit, he stood behind Eren and ran his hands over the omegas body  
"Can you see me?"  
Eren nodded   
"Don't take your eyes off me"  
The omega nodded again and Levi gently nudged Eren's legs apart, he slid his hands across Eren's back and down to massage the omegas arse cheeks, slick dribbled out so deliciously and Eren whined as he ghosted his fingertips down and over the twitching entrance  
"Can you still see me"  
"...yes..."  
"Good..."  
Levi rubbed at the loosening ring, before sliding a finger in, Eren tensed immediately, but he didn't pull out, he gently set about opening the teen before sliding another finger in, Eren breath was coming as a pant and Levi looked to the mirror   
"Can you still feel me?"  
"Yes..."  
Levi moved forward, his free hand roamed over Eren's chest and breasts as he opened his mate, he peppered kisses across Eren's back and nuzzled at his neck  
"I love you"  
"I..."  
Eren's sentence was cut off as Levi slid a third finger in and he groaned  
"Levi..."  
Levi nodded and slid his fingers out, he used Eren's slick to coat his erection, before moving his hands to Eren's hips and lining himself up  
"Eren..."  
He pushed in gently, letting out a moan that mixed with Eren's own, once buried completely inside he didn't move  
"Are you alright?"  
Eren was shaking, but still nodded   
"Keep watching"  
Levi pulled back and sank back in, causing Eren to moan again, he gave a few more slow and cautionary thrusts until Eren moved his own hip  
"Don't... don't be slow"  
Levi nodded, he pulled Eren back to get a better angle and focused on building his rhythm, the room filled with the wet squelch as he fucked him hard, Eren shook with tears rolling down his face, his hands white as he gripped the bench, but he was still moaning so Levi didn't stop, he could feel his knot forming  
"Eren?"  
"Knot... me..."  
Levi nodded, he gave a few more thrusts before burying himself as deeply into his lover as he could, Eren shudder and came with a sob, Levi hurried to wrap his arms around the teen, he showered Eren with praise and kisses  
"God, you're so perfect... I love you, are you alright?"  
Eren nodded and sniffled  
"It... it was scary... but I didn't want to be afraid"  
Levi pressed a kiss to Eren's temple  
"I know, I'm so proud of you..."  
"I... I missed this..."  
"You missed sex?"  
Eren shook his head  
"I missed feeling connected to you... I felt so lonely... even when you were there... I don't know how to explain it"  
"Mmm, it's alright, you don't have to explain"  
Eren sniffled, he shifted slightly and Levi's knot tugged, Levi rocked his hips in response causing his lover to moan  
"Levi... don't... it..."  
Levi rocked again and Eren shuddered, his insides rolled and twitched around Levi's knot, the alpha kept rocking, even as his knot began to deflate, once it's gone down enough, he started to thrust harder, Eren hung onto the bench again and Levi slid his hand down to jerk him off in one with his movements  
"Look in the mirror..."  
Eren's breasts jiggled with each thrust and his stomach bounced lightly   
"My omega! All mine"  
Levi bit down on Eren's neck causing his mate to cum again, and his knot flared as the teen did, Eren's knees gave out and Levi awkwardly lowered them to the floor, Eren in his lap leaving him completely imbedded inside  
"No... no more"  
Levi nodded and rested his head on Eren's shoulder, only moving when Eren moved to kiss him  
"My precious omega..."  
His hands rubbed Eren's stomach possessively  
"Mmmm..."  
They sat like that as their racing hearts slowed, Eren was leaning heavily against Levi and Levi enjoyed the moment   
"Eren?"  
"Mmm"  
"I love you"  
"I know... I love you too"  
Levi grinned and pressed a kiss to the bonding mark  
"I was thinking... do you want to start on the nursery? Have you decided on a room?"  
Eren nodded  
"Can we use my room... and leave the bed in there... so I can sleep with the twins"  
"If that's what you want to do"  
Eren nodded  
"I can't wait to meet them..."  
"Neither... we'll have a look at stuff online after this..."  
"Do you know what sex they are?"  
Levi shook his head  
"I didn't ask, do you want to ask?"  
"No... is that alright"  
"Yeah, it's doesn't matter what they are, I'm sure they'll be perfect"  
"If they look like you maybe"  
"Nope, if they look like you"  
Eren just shook his head   
"Levi, I take it today didn't work out either?"  
"Nah, but it's alright, we've got time, besides, Kenny's trials in a fortnight, we'll busy with that soon, so we aren't really rushing... though it would be nice"  
Eren nodded and sighed, Levi's knot was deflating, but the alpha didn't slide out, he just sat there with Eren until Eren wanted up.

*  
Once again, the whole world knew before Levi and once again Hanji had been the one to call him. He couldn't really believe it, even as the news presenters voice filled the living area. Kenny was found dead this morning of a suspected heart attack. Levi was pissed... beyond pissed. The man had died without making it trial, he'd never be held truly accountable for his crimes and it left a gaping hole in Levi's gut. He felt fucked over by the world and had to excuse himself from Eren's side, he was just so uncontrollably angry. He changed and headed into the gym, but even as his feet pounded on the treadmill, it did nothing to ease the anger. The selfish bastard had fucked him over once again. Tears formed and rolled down his face and he had no idea why. Disgusted at himself he stopped the treadmill, and kicked it hard, pain flared through his right foot and he glared at the machine before letting out a loud snarl. He stormed from the gym, Eren was sitting on the edge of their sofa/bed  
"Levi..."  
His voice was nearly lost as the TV continued to cover the death of Kenny  
"Not now Eren"  
He jogged up the stairs and into his room, he felt like a dick for rejecting his mate just then, and when he reached the bathroom and looked at the man staring back at him, he snapped completely, lashing out his right fist shattered the mirror easily. His reflection had looked so sad and guilty, he could stand the suffocating feelings that were leaving him so messed up. He stripped and showered quickly, before dressing and sitting on his bed. Kenny was really gone. The man who'd seemed too evil to die had died from something as ordinary as a heart attack. He'd never get justice for Eren. He'd failed his mate. He sighed and scrubbed his face, feeling decades older as he did. 4 fucking days, that's when Kenny's trial would have started... in 4 fucking days. Because of Kenny the trial had been pushed back... They'd waited weeks, Eren had waited years and now it al just disappeared. Reiner was dead. Bertholdt was dead. Kenny was dead. And why was he crying over it...? He pushed himself up and walked downstairs, Eren wasn't there and he sighed, he headed through to the nursery. With Erwin's help, they'd moved the desk and everything else Eren didn't want into another bedroom, the cot and change table they'd chosen had arrived just yesterday, they were supposed to be choosing clothes and bedding today, but now... Eren was just sitting in the room alone. The teen was crying as he walked in  
"I'm sorry, I knew I was angry and didn't want to scare you"  
Eren shook his head  
"I'm sorry... it's your uncle and he's dead... he was your family..."  
Eren cried harder and Levi moved over to sit with his mate   
"He may have been my uncle, but he wasn't my family"  
"He was... and it's my fault he's gone... I should have kept my mouth shut, I should've done something... he died... and it was my fault you didn't even get to say goodbye... I'm..."  
Levi couldn't help but be angered by Eren blaming himself, his mate knew damn well that Kenny was an arse. He stood and took a deep breath   
"I can't do this... not now"  
He walked from the room without easing his mates anxieties, he couldn't deal with Eren blaming himself, not when part of Levi blamed himself, it hit too close to home. He walked into the kitchen and grabbed his keys. He had no idea where he was going, but he needed to clear his head so he wouldn't hurt Eren further.

Levi spent the better part of the next 2 hours driving around Trost. None of the drive sank in, his body moved automatically, stopping and going without thinking, the building passed without any significant meaning, and he was aware of his phone ringing more than once. He just couldn't bring himself to care. Eventually though, he began driving home. 

*  
The house was quiet when he walked in, he checked their bed first and then the nursery, Eren wasn't in either of the rooms, so he headed into the bathroom, the omega was curled up on the shower floor shaking. Water cascaded over his still clothed form and Levi sighed, he'd caused this. He turned the taps off, but Eren didn't notice and he was forced to basically man handle Eren up and over so he was seated on the toilet. He stripped his lovers clothes, Eren was shivering and a fine layer of goosebumps covered his skin, he'd obviously been under the water for a while. Levi dried his mate and lifted him, he carried him carefully to their bed and tucked him in, before heading back to clean up the bathroom. Once done he returned to the living room and pulled his phone out. His missed calls were from Hanji and Erwin, they'd both aso texted asking how he was doing. He turned his phone off and did the responsible adult thing. He left Eren in bed and retrieve the whiskey he kept hidden for when he'd had a really bad day. He didn't bother with a glass, instead he sat on a stool at the breakfast counter, drinking straight from the bottle. Titan jumped up and eyed him, he glared at the cat, but Titan just sat clearly not giving a fuck. The more he drank the crappier he felt. The alcohol didn't ease the pain, but it did turn his thoughts to mush, when Eren started screaming he jumped and the bottle fell from his hands. He watched the liquid spill across the bench and sighed. What a fucking waste, Eren's screams hurt his head and he snapped, he screamed at the teen to shut up, and when he didn't he marched to the bed and shook Eren roughly until he did. The look of fear Eren gave him broke his heart. The teen scrambled back, his hands on his stomach as he repeated over and over he was sorry. Eventually Eren made it to a gap and slid off the bed, still backing away from him. Levi went to apologise, he went to raise his hands to show he wasn't going to hurt Eren, but the teen took off towards the nursery and Levi let out a sob. He'd fucked up again. He sank to the floor, burying his face against his knees. Eren meant no harm, Eren who loved him in his own way, who trusted him in his own way, Eren who was so childlike and so broken he was almost innocent. He'd hurt him. He tore the ring from his finger and threw it across the room. He didn't deserve to wear it. He stayed there in a ball until the doorbell sounded. Over and over it rang until he couldn't take it anymore, he ripped open the front door and roared   
"Fuck Off!"  
Erwin stood there, the man sighed before pushing his way in  
"I'm not even going to ask how you are"  
"Get out!"  
Erwin started moving towards the living room and Levi grabbed his arm  
"Get out! Get out! Get out!"  
Erwin just shook his head, making Levi's blood boil, he strode on like Levi wasn't even holding onto his arm  
"Where's Eren"  
"In the fucking nursery"  
Erwin sighed  
"I hope you haven't been like this to him"  
Levi snarled  
"What the fuck do you care... he's my mate!"  
"Yeah and you're acting like an arsehole"  
"The fuck is wrong with you! Showing up unwanted and now having a fucking go at me!"  
Levi knew he was basically screaming at his friend, but he couldn't stop himself. Erwin pulled his phone out and Levi glared in disgust  
"Who the fuck are you calling?"  
"Hanji. You can't be around Eren, not when you're like this"  
Levi stepped back, he picked up a dining chair and smashed it down on the ground, Erwin didn't even flinch as he talked to Hanji. He ended the call and took a tone like a bored parent   
"Are you quite done?"  
"Are you!"  
"Hanji will be here shortly, look I'm sorry about Kenny. But you can't go self destructing like this. Eren needs you"  
"What about me! What about what I need! It's always what Eren needs! All the fucking time!"  
Erwin's right fist connected with his nose, he'd felt like a douche the second the words had come out his mouth, this just confirmed it  
"He doesn't deserve this. He loves you and this is how you treat him? I'm going to check on him. You sit your drunk arse down and think about what you've done"  
Levi glared at Erwin through teared eyes, his nose fucking hurt and he could feel the blood running down his face. Like a deflated balloon, he dropped to the floor.

He was still there when the doorbell rang again. He didn't care about the blood that had dripped into a pool. He didn't care about anything, but he did at the same time. He heard Erwin moving through the room but didn't look up. It was mere seconds before Hanji was shaking him, he looked up sadly, the woman's eyes were wide  
"What happened?"  
He just shook his head  
"He decided to get drunk and lose his shit, I've been with Eren trying to calm him down, but he's convinced Levi hates him"  
Hanji sighed  
"Can I trust you not to rebreak his nose"  
He assumed that meant his nose was broken, that probably explained why his face was throbbing. Hanji moved away and he watched her go. Erwin stood in the spot she vacated, the look on his face was a mix of pity and disgust. It was a few minutes before Hanji came out and whispered something to Erwin who nodded and whispered something back. The woman disappeared again and Levi hung his head.

He heard the clip of Hanji's shoes and low sobs and moans, looking up he saw her supporting Eren, she looked to Erwin and nodded  
"Hanji's taking Eren to hospital. Apparently he's in pain..."  
Levi's heart stopped, he tried to stand but Levi pushed him back down, he growled  
"You've done enough, I'll drive you once they've left"  
"But the door"  
"Eren told me the code and I told Hanji. So sit there and think about what you've done"

Levi supposed Erwin made him a good 10 minutes before dragging him up by the arm and from the house. Neither of them spoke on the drive and Hanji was waiting in the ER when they arrived. She took Levi through and sat him on a bed, she took his face in her hands and turned his head first left, then right  
"You're lucky. Hold still"  
Levi's hands gripped the sheets and pushed on his nose, he ground his teeth and a small growl rose from his throat  
"There. You're lucky Erwin didn't do more damage. Now hold still while I clean your face up"  
Levi said nothing and Hanji went about, less than gently, scrubbing at his face  
"You're not going to ask about Eren?"  
"I have no right"  
Hanji nodded  
"You scared him pretty badly. The stress sent one of the twins into distress, we've administered drugs and are monitoring it. I can't believe you lost it at him"  
"Will he be alright?"  
"Physically maybe, mentally not for a while. He thinks you hate him and he doesn't see the point of being alive. I'll be keeping him here and he doesn't want to see you"  
Levi nodded, tears forming as he did  
"Did... do you have his engagement ring? You would have taken it off right?"  
"Yes we would have taken and jewellery off, but he wasn't wearing a ring"  
Levi couldn't blame Eren for taking his ring off. It fucking hurt to hear, they'd been happy yesterday... and now... he winced as he sniffled without thinking   
"Levi, I know you're hurting, but this wasn't ok. You know that right"  
"Yeah... I really fucked up"  
"You're nose is back in place, you'll want to keep an ice pack on it to help with swelling, I don't want to give you meds while you've still got so much alcohol in your system, so I'll be giving them to Erwin. You are to listen to Erwin, doctors orders"  
"Ok"  
Hanji sighed and took his arm, she obviously didn't want to see him anymore and he couldn't blame her either. Everyone was leaving him... she guided him out to Erwin, the first question out the man's mouth was  
"How's Eren?"  
"We're monitoring him, I want to keep him here for the next week though, his mental health is a real concern"  
Erwin nodded and Levi felt about an inch tall  
"Call me if anything happens?"  
"Yeah, you to, I'll come check on you after work. I need to give you his painkillers, can you take a seat for me while I grab them"  
Erwin nodded and then lead Levi to sit  
"Levi..."  
"Don't... just don't..."  
His voice was gruff and the words stuck in his throat. No one could hate him as much as he hated himself.

*  
Arriving home, Erwin let his arm go. He sighed at the stench of alcohol, his friend moved to the kitchen to clean up the last of the whiskey, while Levi moved to the nursery. He began by searching the bed and then the draws and furniture tops, hunting for Eren's ring. He then moved onto crawling on the floor looking for it, finally finding it when he moved the change table. He clutched it tight as he began to cry, stumbling blindly back into the living room and then climbing under the blankets that smelt of Eren. It fucking hurt. He couldn't remember feeling this lonely, the sobs fell unrestrained from his quivering lips. Eren didn't want to live... and it was all his fault... 

He felt the side of the pile of blankets shift and Erwin invaded the space, Levi growled. This was his and Eren's safe haven, still the blonde sat, he didn't do anything, but his solid presence wasn't exactly easy to ignore and Levi tried to hide deeper under the blankets. If he had he choice he'd be quite happy for the ground to open and swallow him up. Finally the rising agitation he felt at having another alpha in his omegas space was too much and he pushed back the blankets to glare at his friend  
"What!?"  
Erwin held his engagement ring between two fingers and Levi snatched it back before laying it in his palm with Eren's, tears reformed as he sniffled, he cursed as pain flared from the action. He and Eren were supposed to be happy... for a moment, he found himself praying Eren had an episode so he could play it off as a delusion, and then was immediately filled with disgust at the thought  
"Are you done hiding?"  
Levi didn't reply  
"Do you want ice for you face?"  
Again he didn't reply   
"Look, I'm sure Eren will understand... it might just take a while"  
Levi shook his head and looked up at his friend  
"He doesn't want to see me... and... Hanji says he wants to die"  
Without hesitation Erwin pulled him into a hug, Levi smacked his nose against the man's chest but couldn't find any fucks to give over it   
"Once he calms down, he'll be alright"  
"Maybe... he should stay away from me..."  
"Don't be stupid"  
"I yelled at him... and I shook him and when he was trying to talk to me I rejected him"  
"And he understands, he knows you're a mess of Kenny"  
"How could he do it... he had no fucking right..."  
"Kenny?"  
"Yes Kenny! He just gets to die and what does Eren get?! Nothing! Once again every fucking thing that happened gets swept under the rug. How is that fucking fair?"  
"Levi, are you sure this is just about Eren? And not about what he put you through"  
"I don't fucking know and I don't understand. I am fucking livid that he just up and died but..."  
Levi let out a growl, emotions were fucked  
"Well, whatever you're feeling, you made a very impressive attempt on whiskey, there wasn't that much actually spilt"  
"Too much to just be wasted though"  
Levi pushed himself back away from Erwin   
"Why don't you try and sleep, you look like shit and you've had a very active morning"  
Trying for humour Levi counted the morning off on his fingers  
"Woken up by Hanji. Turned on the news. Lost my shit. Tried to work out. Snapped at Eren. Showered. Snapped at Eren again. Drank too much. Smashed a chair. Screamed and shook Eren. Screamed at you. Threw my engagement ring. Went to hospital. Got told Eren wants to be dead, because you know losing one family member today isn't enough. Came home. Found Eren's engagement ring behind the change table. Oh, oh and I went for a drive! And then sooked it some more... and all before lunch time. Fuck I'm good"  
His attempt earnt him a cold glare   
"Go to sleep and come out when you're sober"

Levi didn't so much as sleep as laid there with the thoughts in his head swirling like leaves tumbling down the road. Kenny was the last connection he had to his mother. He loathed and detested the man with every fibre of his being, and now... he was just gone. He huffed and rolled over, this was getting him nowhere. He needed to put his emotions aside. He needed to be who he was before he met Eren and was able to look at everything objectively. But did he really want to be that lonely alpha? The one who scared the fuck out of everyone and stopped people in their tracks... he pushed the blankets back and stalked up to his room, once inside the firmly closed the door. He took his second shower for the day and ignored the pathetic man staring at him from the broken mirror. He walked into his walk-in-robe and selected a sharp suit. There would be things that needed to be done in the wake of Kenny's death and as he jogged downstairs Erwin's eyes were on him  
"You done feeling sorry for yourself?"  
"Yeah. Your father will know how to proceed next right?"  
"It depends, what do you want to do? There will be an autopsy and Kenny will have his own lawyers handling the estate..."  
"I don't know what I want to do, that's why I'm asking you. I do think I should released a statement of some sort and I know I'm not allowed to see Eren, but I at least want to send him flowers or something"  
"Dad should be at my place, do you want to go there or do you want him to come here"  
"I'm going to go crazy, if I keep staring at these walls"  
Erwin waited while Levi grabbed his phone, keys and wallet, before leading the alpha from his home.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys! Nearly at the end!  
> Nows the times for the questions!!

Mr Smith seemed to be expecting them, but he took one look at Levi's nose and promptly made the alpha sit, before forcing an ice pack upon him  
"Do I need to be worried about this?"  
Levi shook his head  
"Nah, I had it coming"  
"He really did, he's had a busy morning of being a dick"  
There was a low smack and Levi assumed Erwin had been smacked, he laid there with his eyes closed  
"So what happens now?"  
"We need to wait until the death certificates signed, then we need to contact the executor of Kenny's will and the usual people. Tax department, bank, super fund, etc. I'm confident that given the media coverage they'll rush the autopsy, so for now all we do is wait"  
Levi sighed, he didn't want to wait, and then came the question   
"Where's Eren"  
Levi sighed again  
"I put him in hospital... hence the nose"  
Levi could practically feel the glare Erwin's father was shooting at him  
"He went a little crazy, and lost his cool causing Eren to have a meltdown. I called Hanji and she's admitted him"  
"So why is he here and not with Eren?"  
"Eren doesn't want to see me"  
"I'm sure that's not true"  
"He told Hanji he wants to die..."  
The ice pack was pulled off his face and huffed as he opened his eyes  
"You definitely need to go see him then"  
"I don't want to make it worse"  
"Let's wait until he's completely sober, his breath still stinks like booze"  
Mr Smith nodded and placed the icepack on back his face, Levi mumbled a thank you and hear both men leave.

At some point he fell asleep and awoke with a wet face. He grumbled as he pushed the icepack off, he glared at Erwin, his friend was sitting and scrolling through his phone   
"You could have taken this thing off..."  
"Good afternoon to you to"  
Levi pushed himself up, feeling slightly queasy as he did  
"What time is it?"  
"Nearly 3"  
"And Eren?"  
"Hanji said you shouldn't visit"  
Levi nodded, he went to rub his face without thinking and hissed as he did  
"But, I'm still going to take you down to see him"  
"Hanji said..."  
"Hanji says a lot of things. Go clean your face up and we'll go"

Levi let Erwin help him from the sofa, his back was stiff from sleeping awkwardly, he stretched as he walked into the guest bathroom. His nose didn't look quite as horrible as before, but he looked pretty shithouse. Standing at the counter, he gently rinsed his face, before patting it dry and yawning. He scolded himself, whatever he was feeling was nothing compared to his mate.

*  
Hanji wasn't on duty when they arrived, Erwin used the gift of his silver tongue and managed to get the into the see Eren. Levi continued into the room alone, Eren was laying on his side, his back facing the door and Levi could smell the misery in the room. He took a shaky breath before crossing around Eren's bed, the teen had a pillow clutched tightly to his chest with his eyes closed, but Levi could see the fresh tear tracks on his mates cheeks   
"Eren?"  
Eren didn't respond and Levi moved to the edge of the bed, he sat on the very edge, so he was mostly off instead of on  
"I am so sorry... I fucked up so badly and I feel like shit. I know you wanted to help... and still I fucking hurt you..."  
Eren sniffled and wriggled backwards on the bed  
"Go... away..."  
Levi sighed, he'd expected as much  
"I can't do that"  
"You did earlier..."  
"That's because I was mad at Kenny, not at you, I didn't want to upset you so I tried to put distance between us..."  
Eren sniffled again  
"Please just go..."  
"No, I've already lost one person today, I'm not losing you too"  
Eren started to cry again and Levi brushed away the tears on his right cheek without thinking, his mate winced at his touch and Levi jerked his hand back  
"Just... go... away... stop pretending... and go..."  
"I'm not pretending, even I don't understand why I'm so messed up over Kenny's death..."  
"He... was... your family..."  
"He wasn't my family. That arsehole aided in your kidnapping. He tried to kill me and he didn't give a damn that Reiner wanted to kill you!"  
"I know... but he was still your family... please Levi... leave me alone..."  
"You know I can't"  
Eren pushed himself up, finally looking Levi in the eye and Levi's heart felt like it was breaking from the teens sad look  
"I... I..."  
Levi watched as Eren bit down on his lip, not finishing his sentence  
"I... I'm sorry... I didn't..."  
Eren moved his hands to his stomach  
"I know... in my head I know and then you told Erwin what you really think... I can't be with you... it's not fair on you, it never was..."  
"It's not how I feel. I was just drunk and frustrated"  
"At me! I know"  
Eren left hand left his stomach and he grabbed the call buzzer  
"Eren, please..."  
"I'm sorry I was a bad mate..."  
Eren pressed down on the buzzer and a few moments passed before a nurse came in  
"Can you please show him out?"  
The woman glared daggers at him and Levi raised his hands in surrender, his mouth was dry, he didn't know what he could say... Erwin walked into the room, from where he'd been standing at the doorway, he took Levi's arm and lead him out to the chairs closest to Eren's room.

"Did you talk to him?"  
"He really doesn't want to see me..."  
Erwin nodded sympathetically and Levi let out a low groan  
"I didn't mean to snap... I came home and he was curled up on the shower floor, freezing cold... so I pulled him out and put him to bed... but when he started screaming... I lost it. I actually yelled at him to shut up..."  
"He'll calm down and forgive you, he loves you"  
"I don't know... I could see it... he was scared, but so angry that he actually told me to leave. More than once..."  
Erwin sighed  
"I thought he'd be happy to see you, that he'd be relieved you weren't really mad or anything"  
"But I'm not mad... not at him... today's just been fucked"  
Levi let his head drop back and smack lightly against the wall  
"Careful, you don't want to damage the few brain cells you have left"  
"I don't know, I might be a better mate without them"  
Erwin sighed again  
"You can go home, I'm just going to sit here in case he changes his mind"  
"Then I'll stay here with you"  
Levi cast Erwin a sideways look  
"I'm an arsehole aren't I?"  
"Just a little"  
"Thanks for putting up with me"  
"I don't know if you should thank the man who broke your nose"  
"Nah, its fine, I deserved it, and I'm still the better looking one, even with it broken"  
Erwin scoffed and Levi closed his eyes.

*  
At some point Levi supposed he must have fallen asleep given he awoke to Hanji gently shaking his shoulder   
"Levi?"  
Levi groaned and blinked up at his friend  
"Oh, hey Hanji"  
"Don't you "hey Hanji" me... what are you doing here"  
Levi looked to his left and found the seat next to him empty  
"Erwin brought me, I wanted to talk and talk to Eren"  
"Didn't I tell you to stay away?"  
"You did... but I fucked up so badly... I needed to see him and try and apologise"  
Hanji sighed  
"And what did he say?"  
"He told me to go away"  
Levi knew he sounded pathetic, he wasn't aiming for the sympathy vote, but he just wanted to be with Eren right now  
"Let me go talk to Eren, but first, how are you feeling?"  
"My nose hurts, but I deserve it..."  
"That's not what I meant"  
"I know, but I can't. I don't know why this hurts so fucking much and I hurt Eren. I just want to apologise"  
Hanji nodded  
"I'll go talk with him, but I don't want him under anymore stress, he was pretty scared earlier"  
Levi nodded quickly  
"I don't blame him. I yelled at him. He had an episode and I yelled... then I shook him awake. I was so mad at Kenny and I hurt him..."  
"That's because you've had a big shock today, I'm sure once he's had some time to think, he'll listen"  
"I wouldn't be so sure"  
Hanji patted his shoulder sympathetically, before walking off towards Eren's room. 

Levi watched the doorway, he jumped when Erwin laid his hand on his shoulder   
"Fuck!"  
Erwin smiled and shoved a cup of coffee at him  
"I didn't mean to take so long"  
"It's fine, Hanji's in with him now"  
Erwin nodded and sat beside him again. He'd half finished the cup before Hanji came out and walked over to them  
"And?"  
"He still thinks you hate him, he got a bit worked up, but he's settled back down"  
Levi sighed  
"But, he'll listen to you, so don't fuck it up"  
Levi shoved his coffee cup at Erwin and jumped up, his face throbbed, but he didn't stop, he slowed however once he stepped through the doorway, Eren was sitting up on the bed looking towards him  
"Hey. Hanji said you'd listen to me"  
Eren nodded slowly and Levi moved to the visitors chair   
"Eren... I don't know what to say. You are my everything and hearing you wanted to die and that you didn't have your engagement ring on... I thought my heart was going to stop. This last week, things were really good... it wasn't just me right?"  
Eren gave a single nod  
"I thought I'd be happy if Kenny died... but I'm just so angry, it's not fair on either of us... he just gets away with it all... I lost my head this morning, and it was cruel, you're my everything Eren, and I know you're scared of me now and it makes me feel fucking sick. I just wanted you to understand that I know I fucked up"  
"You wouldn't even listen to me... I know what's it's like remember... Reiner's dead. I hated him so fucking badly... and when I he died... I was so happy it was scary... but then I remembered the good times too... I just wanted you to know you aren't alone..."  
Levi's throat went dry, he rose slowly and moved to Eren's bed, sitting on the edge before laying his head on the teens shoulder  
"I'm an idiot. Can you forgive me?"  
"I'm the one who needs forgiving. I had an episode... you didn't need that"  
Levi shook his head  
"It wasn't your fault, you couldn't help it... Eren, can I hug you?"  
Eren raised his arms to hug Levi and Levi buried his face against the teens neck   
"I'm so sorry..."  
Eren rubbed his back and hushed him as tears formed again, Eren was so kind and sweat, he wondered what Hanji said to calm him down so much.

*  
Hanji let Eren go home after 4 days, Levi rushed to help the teen settle, Eren sometimes still jumped when he'd say something, but he was slowly loosening up and even let Levi put the engagement ring back on his finger.

Kenny's funeral was held 8 days after his death, the official cause of death was listed as Myocardial infarction, Levi's anger flared that the arsehole died from something so seemingly common. Eren stayed close to Levi for both the service and cremation. Kenny had wanted to be buried, but Levi wanted to make sure the bastard couldn't come back from the dead. His eulogy may not have gone over well, he spilt the truth on just how much of a lying a manipulative bastard he could be. More than one person left as he spoke and he really couldn't care less, Eren held his hand as he spoke, he'd earned Eren before hand, running the whole speel past his mate, taking on creative criticism as he did. At the end of the day as long as Eren was there everything would be alright.

Mr Smith and Erwin didn't seem terribly impressed with his words, Levi thought he was going to be smacked upside the head, but the man refrained... perhaps for Eren's sake.

Kenny had surprisingly left him everything and Levi wanted none of it. He had more than enough money to support Eren and the twins, so he left the properties and cars to be sold through an estate agent and sold the remaining stocks and shares the man had. The money generated was donated to charity anonymously, the charity specialised in helping abused and abandoned omegas. Eren knew the money went to charity, but not to which one.

*  
Eren was laying on the sofa, he was now 32 weeks and totally over being pregnant, Levi sympathised completely. His mate was exhausted most of the time, and struggling to even shower alone, but Levi was loving pampering the teen. He'd spend ages massaging and just talking to his mate. He just couldn't keep his hands off of him. They were sitting on the sofa naked, skins made Eren's skin itch, and Levi told himself he didn't want Eren to be uncomfortable being naked alone. His lovers back was resting against his chest, while Levi's hands rubbed Eren's stomach and he pressed open mouth kissed against the teens neck,  
Eren moaned under his touch  
"Eren, if I wanted to have sex, would you be alright?"  
Eren nodded against him, and Levi slid his hands down to find his mate already erect, he smirked as Eren turned his head to kiss him, his long arms came up and the teen slid his fingers into Levi's hair  
"I'll support you, so leave it to me"  
Eren snorted  
"I can't do much as it is"  
"I don't know, you do plenty for me like this"  
Eren kissed him again as Levi's hands slid over his thighs, his thumbs gently massaged Eren's soft skin and Eren wriggled slightly against him, clearly telling him to hurry up  
"Spread your legs"  
Eren bent his knees, Levi slid his legs under the bend and his hands around and down towards Eren's arse, he lifted Eren up and then slid down to seat the teen in his lap, his erection rubbed against Eren's slickers entrance and the teen groaned loudly   
"Fuck... if you keep moaning like that, I'm not going to last long"  
He rutted gently against his lovers arse until Eren let out a low whine  
"Levi..."  
He lifted Eren again, the teens hands gripped his hair as he lowered him down, a growl bubbled up as Eren sank completely down  
"Fuck... you're pheromones... are driving me crazy... god..."  
He felt drunk on the smell of his mate, each day Eren was growing more and more enticing, he'd been holding back... for the most part, but it was like Eren was in heat all over again and he couldn't get enough. He wished he could film his love, Eren's widened legs with everything open and display. He growled again as he lifted his love and lowered him, his hips rocking and Eren mewed in his lap. The sound of slick and skin slapping filled the air, but was lost against their pants and moans. It only took a few minutes for Levi's knot to swell and he bit down over their mating mark and Eren shuddered, he clenched down so sweetly as Levi came. He released his hold on Eren's legs and Eren laid panting against him, cum had splattered up the swell of his stomach and Levi lazily used his finger to clean his mate, he moaned as he licked the semen off, wanting nothing more for his knot to go down so he could knot Eren all over again. Eren seemed to be in the same frame of mind, he let Levi guide him forward so his stomach and breasts hung low, Levi rocked against him, his knot dragging as he did   
"Levi..."  
"It's alright, I've got you"  
It was so hot and wet, he couldn't stop from rocking hard until he could slide in and out completely, his hips snapped hard against Eren's skin, the omega clawed at the blankets with his head hanging down  
"Fuuuuck..."  
Levi shuddered as he knotted the teen again, quickly pulling Eren back into his lap and jerking the teens spent erection until nothing was left  
"Mmm..."  
Eren turned his face so Levi could kiss him languidly, the omega seemingly content to stay in his lap. They broke apart and Eren nuzzled at his neck  
"Sleepy?"  
"Yeah..."  
"Then go to sleep, I've got you"  
Eren nodded against him and Levi lifted Eren's hands from his hair, he threaded their fingers together over Eren's stomach.

Eren napped for a few hours, his small snores brought a smile to Levi's face and pressed kisses to the teens hair as Eren slept. They wouldn't have much more time like this together for much longer. When Eren woke he groaned cutely, he wriggled and gasped in Levi's lap releasing the alpha hadn't pulled out at all  
"Hey beautiful. How was the nap?"  
"Good... but the wake up was better"  
Levi laughed softly and rolled his hips  
"Levi... don't tease"  
"Who said I was teasing, but we need a shower"  
"Fuck me first?"  
Levi laughed again, he let Eren's hands go so he would cuddle against him  
"Mmmm... can we do it in the bathroom so I can watch you?"  
"I don't care... I'm horny"  
Levi gently moved and lifted Eren from his lap, his omegas legs shook but Eren's stomach made carrying him hard, still he tried, Eren was too sleepy to walk properly.

Eren held onto the bench as Levi positioned behind him, the omega was shaking as a leaf, but Levi knew he wasn't going to last long, he took his time... mostly so he wasn't embarrassingly fast, and drew out every thrust, Eren glared at him as he slowly drove his love crazy. The teen got so annoyed he took matters into his own hands, jerking himself off, as punishment Levi slammed in hard and Eren was forced to let himself go and grab the counter. The alpha smirked and finally fucked his mate hard like he wanted, only getting in a handful of thrusts before knotting him and Eren came with a whimper. He caught the teen as Eren's hands slipped from the counter. Once Eren had slightly recovered and his knot had finally deflated, Levi took his time to clean every inch of his mates body, he nuzzled and talked to Eren's stomach as he cleaned the teens lower half, he could practically feel the heat of Eren's blush.

Levi had to carry Eren from the bathroom out to their bed, he dried his mate down before pulling the blankets up to cover Eren's gorgeous naked form, his lovers hand felt around for him and he grabbed it, squeezing tightly, he could hear Eren mumbling and moved next to him  
"What's wrong?"  
Eren shook his head   
"I don't wanna wait to marry you..."  
Eren fell asleep straight after and Levi released his hand, tucking it gently under the covers. He pressed a kiss to Eren's temple and slipped off the bed, padding across the room in search of his laptop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> God I wish I could draw, I couldn't get that image of Eren in Levi's lap out my head... I still can't


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Excuse me while I cry in a corner

"Are you sure you'll be alright?"  
Eren nodded and Levi dragged out every second, it was an over night trip, but he totally didn't want to leave his pregnant mate. Even for the night  
"Urgh... I don't want to go... move over, I'm coming back to bed"  
Eren shook his head and shoved lightly against the alpha  
"Levi... it'll be fine, you won't even be gone that long"  
"It's tooo long"  
"Levi, take your phone out"  
Even though he knew where Eren was going with this, he still took the device from his pocket   
"What's the time?"  
"4pm"  
"Yes, and you still have to drive to the airport, get on the plane, land in Marley, check in, go to dinner, go to sleep and then come back on the morning flight"  
Eren counted each thing on his fingers  
"Do you know what I'll be doing? Sleeping"  
Levi huffed, his omega was 34 weeks, and had started bossing him around, sex, sleep and bitching... and not always in that order. Levi leant in and pressed a kiss to Eren's plump lips, he moaned gently and pulled back, only to have Eren shove him again  
"Go already"  
Levi nodded, he dragged himself over and grabbed the overnight bag  
"Call me if..."  
"I need you... I know"  
"I love you Eren, I'll be back tomorrow"  
"Love you to"  
Levi watched Eren shuffle back down in their bed, before forcing himself out to his car. He was over this business trip before it began.

Erwin seemed to have enough enthusiasm for both, he nudged Levi in the ribs and Levi tried to smile, but failed  
"Eren will be fine"  
"I know... I know..."  
"And he has a phone again, and he has Hanji's number..."  
"I know... it's just... fuck... 6 weeks!"  
"And you're nervous as fuck?"  
"You have no idea"  
Erwin slung his arm around Levi's shoulder  
"It's just one night, it'll be fine"  
Levi nodded and let his friend lead him across to the boarding gate.

Marley was just as boring as he remembered, and the meeting was even worse. After weeks of back and forth they pair had decided to start their own marketing business, building it from the ground up and scouting most of the staff from the remnants of Ackerman Enterprises, the business had been brought out by some overseas investor after Kenny's funeral. He couldn't find the effort to care then and still couldn't find it now. Tonight's meeting was with a new agency they were looking at taking on, but the boss was a skeeze that reminded him way too much of Kenny and his wife... he was sure the woman had bathed in perfume. He still tried to smile politely, but he knew Erwin was covering for him big time. At the end of the night, the skank of a woman pretended to trip, throwing herself on him and he shuddered with revolution. Erwin stepped in and helped her, laughing it all off. He elbowed Levi hard and they both politely waved the couple off. He was fucking exhausted.

Arriving back up at his room, he parted with Erwin, his friend looked completely exhausted. The moment the door closed he let out a long breath, he really needed a shower... but more importantly he needed to hear Eren's voice. He pulled his phone and dialled his omega, the phone rang out and he started to panic, walking across the room he tugged his suit off with his phone to his ear, it nearly rang out but Eren answered at the last moment, the first thing that came through though was a groan, which failed to calm his panic   
"Eren?!"  
"Hey... sorry... my phone was buried..."  
"That doesn't matter, are you alright?"  
"Oh, yeah... my back and hips are just sore, but it's not too bad..."  
Levi nodded before realising Eren couldn't actually see him  
"So..."  
"I just wanted to hear you voice"  
Levi heard Eren snort, he smiled as he flicked the bathroom light on   
"Well you've heard it... how was the meeting?"  
It was Levi's turn to groan  
"I think I just met Kenny's equal. There's no way we're going to take them on... and the wife... I have no words"  
Eren let out a long sigh  
"I'm sorry it went so bad"  
"It's fine, they paid for the flights. I just want to come home already"  
"You'll be..."  
Eren let out a huge yawn  
"... back in the morning"  
"I know. Alright, go back to sleep"  
"M'kay"  
"Eren, I love you"  
"Love you too"  
The line went dead and Levi finished stripping. He showered the smell of skank off him completely, scrubbing until his skin was red. He gathered his suit in disgust and stuffed into the bathrooms bin. He walked back into the bedroom with a towel around his waist, he wondered if Erwin would be mad if he just flew home tonight. He dried and dressed before heading over to his friends room, Erwin opened the door with a nod  
"Yeah, I'm thinking the same thing"  
The blonde alpha crossed to his bed, his suitcase already repacked  
"I'll book the tickets"  
Erwin nodded and Levi sat on the end of the man's bed. It was a matter of minutes before they were both booked on the first flight back to Trost  
"Done"  
"How long do we have?"  
"Flights at 2:03am"  
"What's the time now?"  
"10:59pm on November the 5th"  
Erwin shook his head   
"You're a dick"  
"I know"  
"How was Eren?"  
Levi snorted, he really was transparent  
"He's fine, sore and tired"  
"Yeah and probably missing you"  
"Nah, he's been sleeping..."  
"I'll call a taxi, you go get your shit, I'll see you downstairs in 10"  
Levi pushed himself up, comforted by the fact he could at least nap during the flight.

*  
"Eren! I'm home!"  
A low moan greeted his and he walked over to the bed, crawling in and wincing as he did. The sheets were damp and he bit back a sigh   
"Eren?"  
Another moan came from the teen and Levi pushed back the blanket, Eren's naked form was half curled into a ball and his hands gripped the blankets  
"Eren!"  
His mate let out a small cry and Levi ignored the wetness and moved around so he could actually look his mate in the face  
"What's wrong?"  
"It hurts..."  
"What hurts..."  
Eren let out a low groan and Levi tried to pry his fingers from the blankets, his mate scrunched his eyes tightly closed   
"Eren, you need to tell me what hurts..."  
"My back... and my stomach..."  
Levi nodded, his heart was racing, he was sure he could smell a hint of blood since he'd pulled back the sheet. He pulled himself together enough to check his mate, the teens thighs and arse were damp and Eren's hands scrambled to grab his stomach as he moaned again  
"Fuck... Eren... you need to stay calm for me... I think you're in labour"  
Eren shook his head   
"It's too soon..."  
"Not according to the twins"  
Levi climbed off the bed, he rushed across the room and up to his room to grab Eren something to wear, he jogged back downstairs, Eren was whimpering. He swallowed hard though, the sight of his lovers twisted body was nearly artistic  
"Eren, I need you to listen to me..."  
Eren shook his head, his eyes were full of tears as he looked up at Levi   
"I... don't... I'll... be... good... don't hurt me anymore..."  
Levi cursed under his breath, he dug his phone out and called Hanji   
"Levi... do you have any idea how early it is?"  
"Sorry, don't care. Eren's in labour, but he's having an episode, I'm going to drive him in, can you call ahead for us?"  
"What!!"  
Levi heard a thud and wondered if she just fell out of bed  
"Hanji?"  
"Yep, I'm here, how close are his contractions?"  
"I don't know"  
Eren whimpered again and Levi rushed to hang up on Hanji. He took his mates face in his hands  
"Eren, listen to me, you're going to be just fine"

Trying to get the upset and confused omega dressed and then into the car was a mission and a half, Eren clutched at his stomach the whole drive. His mumbling had grown progressively worse, he want now repeating over and over he didn't want to die. Hanji met them at the front of the hospital, Eren was still out of it. She gently helped the crying omega into a wheelchair   
"They're expecting us, I was hoping his episode would have passed by now"  
Levi nodded, he followed the woman through the hospital doors.

Hanji had him wait while Eren was settled in a room, his alpha was going crazy with the need to be there by Eren's side and when she finally came to get him, he growled without even realising. She smiled as she lead him in  
"He's already in active labour, about 6 cms dilated"  
Levi nodded without understanding. He wasn't sure he really wanted to know the finer details. Eren was sitting on the bed crying silently, Levi moved in and took his hand  
"Hey, I'm here..."  
"Levi... it hurts"  
"I know, but I'll be right here with you..."  
Eren nodded as he sniffled  
"I'll come back and check with you in a bit, I've just got to go check in with the midwife doing the delivery"  
Levi nodded without turning around, Eren looked so sad and it hurt  
"Do you want me to do anything?"  
Eren bit his lip and nodded  
"What?"  
"Can you... sit next to me"  
Levi awkwardly slid up onto the bed and Eren buried his face against his chest  
"It hurts..."  
"I know..."  
Levi rubbed Eren's back gently, his mate kept his face hidden as various staff came into check on Eren. The teen was thoroughly embarrassed that they kept checking to see how dilated he was. It took hours and another episode before Eren whimpered and they told him it was time to start pushing.

It was the scariest moment of Levi's life, so he couldn't imagine how scared Eren was. The omega sobbed as he clutched Levi's hand desperately. Levi nuzzled and kissed his mates neck   
"I love you, I'm so proud of you"  
He tried to be encouraging, his mate was obviously exhausted, but finally their first child was born. A healthy boy, Eren didn't even register it and it hurt. His omega deserved this moment so fucking badly. 15 minutes later their second son was born. He was taken by the nursing staff and the one of the staff came to Levi's side   
"I know your mate has mental issues, but we like to lay newborns on their mothers chest, do you think he'll be ok?"  
"Yeah..."  
Levi helped another nurse move the blanket down and then the thin gown Eren had been changed into, both tiny boys were placed against the omegas chest and Eren sobbed as he looked down at them. Levi pressed a kiss to Eren's temple as his mate let go of his hand and shakily raised both to rest them on their tiny newborns  
"They're boys..."  
"Yeah..."  
"You're not mad?"  
Levi shook his head  
"No, I could never be mad, look how perfect they are"  
Eren winced and Levi looked down the bed, he assumed they were stitching his poor mate and winced in sympathy before looking back to Eren, he leant in and kissed his lovers lips  
"You did amazing"  
Eren sniffled  
"It doesn't feel real..."  
"It's real... I love you... I love all three of you"  
Eren nodded and looked back up at him  
"You're crying?"  
Levi laughed lightly  
"Don't worry, I've never been happier in my life"

*  
Their second visitor was Erwin. Levi didn't know whether to count Hanji as a visitor or staff. She'd appeared during the time when the nurses were doing all their measurements  
Reni Eli Ackerman 5 pound 1  
Viren Eli Ackerman 4 pound 15  
The woman gushed over Eren, but Eren was thoroughly exhausted, he kept his face buried against Levi's chest until Hanji decided she needed to call Erwin. When the nurses returned, Levi got to have his first hold, his sons tiny fingers seemed impossibly small. He teared up again "Hey little one, I'm your daddy..."  
His tiny son had light skin like his with dark brown wispy hair. He held the boy as Eren fed their other son, it took a couple of attempts before the boy finally latched and tears ran down Eren's face. To Levi it just looked so natural and right, Eren may have been exhausted, but he shone with love.

Erwin arrived just after the twins had been fed, the man had stopped by their house by the seems, and had remembered Eren's go bag... he'd also stopped by the hospital gift shop, brandishing two large stuffed teddy bears. Levi smiled at his friend  
"Hey, thanks for coming"  
"I had too, how you feeling Eren?"  
Eren was busy staring down at his son, Levi was now holding the one they'd named Viren, he had black hair opposed to Reni's dark brown  
"Eren?"  
The teen jumped slightly and looked up  
"Sorry... what?"  
Erwin smiled   
"I was just asking his you were feeling?"  
"Tired, really tired, but happy"  
Erwin nodded slowly  
"I can't even imagine, do you mind if I take a look?"  
Eren nodded and Erwin placed the bears on the end of the bed and the bag on the ground. Eren dipped Reni for Erwin to see  
"Do you have names?"  
Eren nodded and liked to Levi   
"He's holding Reni, I'm holding Viren"  
"Good choices"  
"That's what I thought"  
"I get to be the cool uncle right?"  
Levi laughed lightly  
"Of course, we also have another favour to ask. Can you grab the papers out of Eren's bag?"  
Erwin eyed him confused but gave a nod, he moved over picked up the bag before rifling through it, pulling out a yellow envelope  
"These ones?"  
"Yeah..."  
Erwin slid the documents free and eyed them, while Eren looked to Levi for answers   
"A few weeks ago, you were really sleepy... but you said you didn't want to wait to marry me. I did some research, and I've got the papers. We can get married whenever you're ready, they make exceptions for already bonded mates"  
Eren's eyes flicked over to the papers  
"So... we could get married right now?"  
Levi nodded  
"Yeah, if you wanted too..."  
Eren nodded quickly, Levi watched him watching Erwin flicking through the pages   
"I can actually officiate... if you can find another witness"  
"Like now now?"  
Erwin smiled  
"Yeah, like now now, Eren"  
"Do you want to get married right now?"  
"Yeah... if that's alright? I want to do it while I'm this happy..."  
Levi grinned happily  
"You heard him!"  
"Give me a minute to find Hanji"  
Erwin left the room and Levi looked to Eren  
"Are you sure?"  
Eren nodded  
"Yeah, I wanna marry you and I don't want to wait"

Erwin ended up taking a good half hour, Eren was clearly fighting to stay awake. Viren and Reni were both laid down to sleep in the hospital bassinets and Levi was sitting on the edge of Eren's bed, his arm around his mate as he gently ran his fingers through Eren's hair. The two giant teddy bears had been moved to the visitors chair and both their rings sat waiting atop the paperwork. They'd both gone ahead and filled in their parts, Erwin wouldn't actually care. Levi was still trying to get his head around the fact his friend was legally able to wed them. He'd honestly wanted to just drag Eren down the courthouse and spring it on him once they were there, but Eren had been so sleepy that he hadn't wanted to disturb his rest... and he'd been partially scared the teen would say no. There was a soft knock on the door and Erwin came in, Hanji and a friend of hers came behind him. Hanji squealed softly as she jumped on the spot  
"Ok, Levi, go stand behind the curtain, Erwin you go stand with him and leave Eren with us"  
Eren yawned as Levi sat him up and planted a small kiss on his lips   
"I'll be right over there"  
Levi pointed to the curtain, and Eren nodded, moved away and Erwin joined him. He noticed the flowers hidden in the hands of Hanji's friend and smiled. Obviously Hanji had a plan. Erwin stood next to him  
"You ready for this?"  
"Yeah"  
"We don't have to do it right now"  
"No, Eren wants to, and he's happy. I think he's scared about having an episode or a bad day, that's why he wants to do it now"  
"Hanji has some make up, so we can take photos without him looking so tired"  
Levi frowned  
"He looks perfect the way he is"  
"I'm not saying he doesn't, I'm just saying he might feel bad if he sees the bags under his eyes in his wedding photos"  
Levi still wasn't happy, but a few minutes later Hanji slid the curtain all the way back  
"You might be in a dress shirt, but we couldn't just let Eren get married in a hospital gown"  
Eren obviously wasn't terribly sure, it was clearly Hanji's shirt he was wearing, but it didn't look bad. He held the flowers almost shyly and Levi's heart started to pound, he moved over to take Eren's hands and Erwin did his best to sound official as he began the small service. Eren didn't stumble as he repeated after the alpha and Levi couldn't stop smiling  
"You may now kiss your husband"  
The word filled the alpha with warmth and he tried to pour ever inch of love he felt for the teen into the kiss. Hanji cheered gently and Erwin showered her friend where to sign, the woman wished them luck before disappearing, but Levi ignored her as he continued to kiss his mate. Finally Erwin cleared his throat and Levi pulled back enough to stare Eren in the eyes. A light blush has spread across the teens face and Levi rested his forehead against Eren's   
"I love you Mr Ackerman"  
"I love you too Mr Ackerman"  
"Photos!"  
Hanji took what felt like a hundred photos, she insisted on getting photos with the twins, Eren didn't want to wake them, but Hanji stormed ahead and soon both boys were crankily grizzling, once the tears started she made herself scarce. Erwin left not long after, promising to lodge the paperwork on his way home. Levi gently laid the twins back down and then helped Eren from Hanji's shirt, the teens breasts looked painfully full and Levi wondered if Eren was hiding he was in pain. He gently helped Eren pull the gown back up to give the teen some privacy and before Eren fell asleep he cleaned the make up off his face  
"Levi... thank you"  
Levi smiled as he sat back in the same spot as before, Eren practically slumped against him the moment he did  
"I'm really happy"  
The alpha pressed a kiss to Eren's forehead, as Eren pressed one against his shirt   
"So am I. I never thought I could be as happy as I am... right here, right now with the boys..."  
Eren nodded sleepily and the alpha held his omega tightly, he'd never let Eren go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sigh! I hate coming to the end of a story. I mean, it's not like I'm not going to move back onto my bloodied wolf, buuuuut I get so damn attached.
> 
> I hope you all don't hate me too much... the twins were always gonna be premmie... and there were no CAT-astrophies.
> 
> Thank you all so much for the love and the comments and the Kudo's xxx  
> God I hope I didn't fuck the ending


End file.
